Today on Newshub Nation ` the prime minister halts building work at Ihumatao. Peeni Henare, Minister for Whanau Ora and Youth and MP for Tamaki Makaurau joins us live. Then ` a first look at Simon Bridges' slick rebranding video. Can anything help him now? We cross to political editor Tova O'Brien at the National Party's annual conference in Christchurch. And how long is the arm of the Chinese Government in New Zealand? Mike Wesley-Smith investigates. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2019 Kia ora, good morning. I'm Simon Shepherd, and welcome to Newshub Nation. Boris Johnson became the new prime minister of the United Kingdom on Wednesday. He's promised to lead an exit from the European Union in October with a new, better deal. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern congratulated him with a text message that said 'Kia ora, Boris,' while opposition leader Simon Bridges described the incoming leader as having 'buffoon-like' qualities. New Zealand divorce law is under scrutiny, with more than 100 recommendations for change released this week by the Law Commission. It could be the end of the 50-50 split, with the commission suggesting that if the family home was owned by one partner before the relationship began, only the increase in the value of the home should be shared. The current law is more than 40 years old, and the government is now reviewing the recommendations. And the prime minister has halted all building work at Ihumatao following a major standoff this week between police and protesters over the disputed land in South Auckland. Fletcher Residential wants to build 480 homes at Ihumatao, believed to be the site of one of the first human settlements in New Zealand. The local Maori are split on the issue, with elders from iwi Te Kawerau a Maki in support of the development, while Rangatahi who have been occupying the land are opposed to it. The protesters want the government to step in and purchase the land for use as public heritage space. Well, until last night, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said the government was taking the side of the local iwi, who had done the deal with Fletcher Residential. Then, about 6.30pm, she announced work on the development would cease for now. So what changed? Minister for Whanau Ora Peeni Henare also holds the local Maori seat, Tamaki Makaurau, and will be talking to the occupiers today. He joins me now. Morena. Thank you for your time. Kia ora. What did change suddenly last night? Well, look, it's always been on the radar, not just for the prime minister, but for myself as a local MP. Discussions amongst ourselves have been going for a number of months now. It's certainly heightened over the past week, two weeks. And indeed, the leadership from the prime minister was quite clear yesterday; she insisted that that meeting take place, and the outcome ` what we saw. But just a few days ago, she was saying 'we are siding with the local iwi that did the deal'. Oh, look, we continue to support mana whenua. That's not a surprise here, because as treaty settlements have been done in the past, those negotiations and that relationship have been set up with mana whenua. Well, exactly. So why has the government underestimated the strength of the feeling out there? Is that why the change of position? I think there's a bit of that. I think there's a lot of broken communication lines here, where the true sentiment hasn't been brought forth. Of course, you know, there are a lot of people down there who aren't from there but feel the same way, and have come from near and far to go and support Ihumatao, which` Their voice is being heard. Right, but the mana whenua say that there's a lot of people, as you say, who aren't from that particular tribe, and that the situation is being misrepresented by the protesters, the occupiers. Oh, look, I think many of them` There are a lot of stories coming out of Ihumatao. Some, it's about cultural heritage. Some, it's about Maori land rights. There's a whole complex web there, and that's what part of today is, is going in to listen to all those. So, you're going to listen to them, and they're gonna say to you, 'We want the government to buy the land.' Is the government considering that? I will be saying to them, and hopefully encouraging them, to say, 'Come to the table and talk with us.' But I want to be very clear and put a word of caution here. If the government steps in to buy this land back, we undermine every treaty settlement that's been done to date. We then allow relitigation of settlements that have been done in the past, and are we prepared for that? And I'll leave that question there. Right, so that's a can of worms. I mean, is the government really willing to open that? Look, let's get around the table and talk. And the prime minister made that clear last night. Because, as you say, in this particular case, I mean, Fletcher Residential say that they've been through the Waitangi Tribunal, the Maori Land Court, Environment Court. They've done the consenting process. Have they done this in good faith, in your opinion? Look, I think they've gone through all the right legal steps to have the ownership that they have today. But I wanna make it clear too that we recognise ` or certainly I do as a Maori and as a Maori MP ` the original sin of land confiscation in the 1860s is still a very live issue for the people there today and, indeed, Maori land activists right across the country. That's got to be acknowledged. But I think that an open conversation face-to-face, as opposed to slagging matches across social media, is far better. Well, that's a good point, then. You had this meeting last night, and every stakeholder was there, you said, apart from the occupiers, the SOUL ` Save Our Unique Landscapes organisation. Why is that? There are huge impasse between all stakeholders, to be clear. So it's important that the prime minister's given us this space and time to actually say, 'Let's bring them together.' And the hope is today, at the end of our visit, myself and Minister Jackson, that we can encourage that, that they come to the table. And let's sit down with them. How long are you willing to give this? Because it's been going on for, what, five years or longer? Yes, that's right. The prime minister made it clear last night that we'll give it the time that it needs. We don't expect it to take a long time, but we do want to give it the time that it needs. I suspect that it could be a week or two. OK. In that time, would you be asking the protesters to leave the land? No. The prime minister made it clear last night that people are coming. No doubt, this weekend, there'll be plenty more people, and we respect that. Our engagement today is simply to be amongst them. I'm not going in ` certainly today, or in the near future ` to say, 'It's time for you to leave,' no. And what about the police presence? We see there they're in the pictures, the line of hi-vis police there. That presents an image of conflict. Would you be asking the police to leave while this negotiation is ongoing? Look, can I make it clear ` the operational stuff for the police is for them to deal with. But I have been in close communications with the police minister on this matter. After our presence today, no doubt I'll be speaking with him again. And we'll see how we can... give room or space to the situation. It's not something` If this has been a complex issue for five years and longer, how are you expecting to resolve this within a couple of weeks? Well, that's the challenge, right? I mean, if treaty claims and treaty settlements have taken 20, 30, 40 years... Look, the prime minister was clear; let's have the opportunity to sit down. Once we've had that meeting, perhaps we can have a clearer pathway or even a better time frame. But in the first instance, we must come together. As the local MP, how do you feel that the government has handled this? Oh, look, you said five years now, this issue's been bubbling. And I was in opposition and met with members of SOUL and members of iwi over a number of years now. And I think that... there are challenges, and there have been for both governments, National and Labour. It hasn't been handled as best as it could be. Look, I'm looking forward to ` let's make sure that we can get this right. And just finally ` can I make sure that this announcement yesterday wasn't in response to the, sort of, scathing attack on the prime minister saying that there would be no consultation over this. Look, I think it's incorrect to say that the prime minister hasn't had this on her mind and been talking with her ministers about this. Yesterday, she decided to take action. We know that her travel arrangements is she was going offshore, and she felt it that important that we come together yesterday. OK, Peeni Henare, thank you very much for your time. Tena koe. Well, if you've got something to say about what you see on our show, let us know. We are on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram ` NewshubNationNZ. Our Twitter panel this week is social commentator Bevan Chuang and Auckland Councillor Richard Hills ` they're using the hashtag #NationNZ. You can email us at... The address is on our screen... somewhere there. But still to come ` Simon Bridges on rebranding the National Party and his leadership ahead of election 2020. Plus ` are we doing enough to protect Chinese New Zealanders who allege they are being harassed here in New Zealand by Chinese government representatives? Welcome back. Well, his polling is low, and he's got the worst job in politics, but today holds a rare moment of glory for opposition leader Simon Bridges. He is about to take the stage at a National Party conference in Christchurch. He's also going to show supporters a new video ` obtained by Newshub Nation ` of the party rebranding ahead of Election 2020. Let's take a look. (RELAXED MUSIC) In 2017, 44% of voters asked for a strong government, a team with depth, and a healthy economy. What they got was indecision, broken promises, new taxes, lots of strikes and an economy going nowhere fast. So what is the most important part of the economy? GDP? Interest rates? House prices? Markets? It's actually you ` the people of New Zealand. Well, if you want to see the full two-minute video, we're posting it on Twitter right now using the hashtag #NationNZ. The theme is 'it's all about you', but it's also about rebranding Simon Bridges. Our political editor Tova O'Brien caught up with the opposition leader and asked whether he's trying to present a more statesmanlike Simon. No, I wouldn't say that's consciously what we're trying to do. I think, really, if you think about last year in conference, it was new team, new ideas, New Zealand. We, as a party, have gone through a lot of change. There is no John Key any more, at least as a member of Parliament. Steven Joyce, Bill English and so on ` that was last year. This year, we're trying to make the point very clearly ` the focus is on you, on your family, on New Zealand. It's not on a whole lot of other stuff. We clearly, in National, are about the economy. We believe New Zealanders believe us on that. They know we are strong in it, and we create a strong economy. But the economy is not some pie-in-the-sky thing. It's about what it means for New Zealanders in terms of being able to buy a house, look after their families, and, actually, the services. You can't have a good health system with cancer drugs, with cochlear implants, with things this government isn't funding, if you don't have a strong economy at the heart of it. It's you and your family. I'm showing New Zealanders, I think through how we deliver, that that's where my resolute focus will be. We'll talk a bit more about some of those policy initiatives or ideas in a minute, but this video is quite different from the video we saw of you last year drumming. It's different from the Simon Bridges we've seen screaming, 'Slushies!' in the house. Was that intentional? Not from me. Look, people come together, and they put these ads together. What was intentional from me is, as I say, the message. We're mid-term. We're halfway through the game. I think our second half is going to be much stronger than our first half. I think we're ` if you want to put it this way ` a fitter team, a more experienced team. We've got the talent... Because your first half has been rubbish? The first half has had its ups and downs. But the truth is, we've held it together. We have been unified, and we are strong. The video, the brochure we're giving to members and will give to, I hope, thousands of New Zealanders ` as I say, it's about saying, 'What you get with us, it's about you.' This week, you called Boris Johnson 'buffoon-like'. Is your image a liability for your party? No, I don't think so. I think the reality is we are hugely supported. Do you regret calling the new prime minister of the United Kingdom 'buffoon-like'? No. Look, I think there's two qualities that I have talked about ad infinitum, and they were that one ` that showmanship, that persona that he has traded on as a journalist and a politician ` but also a very intelligent man, a really impressive intellect. And it's those two things that is why he is now prime minister of the United Kingdom, and why I've said to others ` and I am having to say to you ` if I were a Tory MP in the United Kingdom, I would have voted for him. I've heard that you` from a very good source that you do quite a good Boris Johnson impression. Is that right? (LAUGHS) Give us a little hint. You will never find out on air, Tova. (LAUGHS) All right. Watch this space, watch this space. Let's talk about policy. You say that National has a plan for all of the issues that you raise in that record and a track record for getting things done. What about cancer? Because you have talked about providing access to cancer drugs, but you haven't committed to a cancer agency. You presented that petition this week. Are you trying to get the PR treats without doing the mahi? No, because, I think, the mahi for us, realistically, halfway through that game isn't finished. I am not here today, or at this conference indeed, to announce all of our policies and prescriptions and positive plans for that. So, this conference would be quite a good opportunity for you to announce a cancer plan, wouldn't it? Well, look, you will see over the course of this conference some new policy from National. I am not going to give you any clues right now. On cancer? Let me just say this ` it is about you. It is about showing that we are the best on the economy but what that means for New Zealanders in terms of their lives, their families, but also health, education and infrastructure. What about housing? You say that safe, dry houses are not too much to expect, but under National, median house prices went up by $200,000. How will you turn housing around? Well, it's obviously not just this, but the major issue, it seems to me, is resource management and planning reform. And we've had this again, actually, a non-announcement from David Parker. He's effectively just announced this week their 280th working group. And the reality of the situation is if he says he wants climate change at the heart of it ` and we all accept how important that is ` what he's really saying is he wants to continue to see cost and compliance. We know the Greens have a diametrically opposed view, probably to Labour and certainly New Zealand First. They're not going anywhere on this issue. We will. We're doing the work right now to make sure we have that strong, bold reform that means more sections, more houses for New Zealanders. Is your housing policy document ready? Uh, is our housing policy document...? Well, our next document will be on infrast` will be, I'm sorry, on the economy. And that, Paul Goldsmith is leading that piece of work with Todd McClay. Is there any truth to the fact that it was supposed to be housing at this conference, and then you pulled back on that, cancelled that? Is that about silencing Judith Collins? No. Not at all. There is simply no truth in that whatsoever. As I say, we could have` And if there was an ordering of these things, we've got an economic discussion document ready to go, which I think, in fact, is more ready to go than the housing one. So, is that Sunday? No. We are not launching that this weekend. Not this weekend. OK. All right. Demoting Judith Collins from infrastructure ` why did you do that? It's not a demotion. It just simply isn't. The reality is Judith Collins is fourth in our lineup. Poor old Phil Twyford has had a hard go of it. They have, I was going to say, demoted him. Actually, he's been promoted to run the economy now, which I think is a worry for all New Zealanders, and now Judith is up against, of course, Megan Woods. So there's no demotion there. We are blessed with talent ` whether it's Goldie in Finance; whether it's Judith in Housing doing a great job; and many others beside her. On the environment ` last week, your spokesperson for climate change, Todd Muller, contradicted you and the party, saying he was broadly supportive of the government's electric car policy. What is the National Party position? Well, he's broadly supportive of electric vehicles. I am; I've had two of them. I believe in it. Our position's pretty simple; we believe in climate change. We think it's a very serious issue. We believe we've got to work our way through those issues and do a lot. But what I don't like, and what, to a member ` Todd Muller, Judith Collins, Paula Bennett, Andrew Falloon ` what our caucus believes is we shouldn't just be going, as the Labour Party is in government, to the easy stuff. 'Let's reach in the drawer and pull out a tax.' I actually don't think that sort of disincentive works, necessarily. I mean, if you take the car tax, you've got a situation where mums and dads with kids, they can't just get in a Suzuki Swift or move to an electric vehicle. It's not practical for their life. Neither can tradies or farmers. So it simply is ` as I've said before and I'll say again ` a sneaky tax grab. Ditto if we talk farming. How about we do the hard work when it comes to climate change and biotechnology? Does your attack ad on the government's clean car policy show that the National Party isn't committed to combating climate change? No, not at all. That's not the message. The message is we can't afford this Labour-led government. You know, it seems to just reach in the drawer and pile on tax, on cost and debt on ordinary, everyday New Zealanders. And I think that reality is why, at the moment, the government is in that hot mess I talked about, that frenzy, to be trying to jump around and do this. They feel the pressure, because they know Kiwis aren't seeing the focus on their lives and their costs and the living standards that they should and they deserve to have. Will you support the Net Zero Carbon Bill? We want to. I mean, 90-some per cent of it, in terms of its design and structure, I would argue, is what we've asked for. There's some very serious parts we don't like, though, and that's around methane tax. And the reality is we do want to see change there, because, again, it's just that cost on what is still half or a little over half of New Zealand's exports. And we do have to pay our way in the world if New Zealanders want the healthcare, the cancer drugs, the cochlear implants; if they want that higher education that we all aspire to; if they want good roads. On to polling now ` your favourite topic (!) (CHUCKLES) It's your favourite topic, I think. I love a good poll, you're right. You dragged National down to 37.4% on our latest Newshub Reid Research poll. We were leaked the Labour internal polling; I know you take that with a grain of salt. But that roughly aligns with the Newshub Reid Research poll. And no matter which poll you look at, your personal poll ratings are going down. How do you turn that bad polling around? It's just not what we see. And I come back to it ` is the Labour party looking like a party that's confidence-polling in the frenzy that they are? They just simply aren't. Look, the reality is` I appreciate there's been different polls and there's been confusion about these things. I believe the National Party is the most popular supported party in New Zealand. But I would say this to you, Tova` It's gone down under your leadership. I simply don't believe that. And I would say this to you` It's a fact. Well, you know, you're referring to some leaks, whatever it is UMR polls ` which, by the way` I look to our poll, the Newshub Reid Research poll, which was the most accurate poll at the last election. That had National on 37.4% under your leadership. And I've got to say that there was another public poll at that time, and there's our private polling which shows a very different picture. But let me give you this ` I don't believe leadership is just some crass popularity contest. I believe it is much more important than that. It is about the vision and the values and securing victory for National in 2020. And in that rugby game we're talking about, in the second half, we are very strong. I think we've got our best plays to come. I believe we are the best campaigners in New Zealand. And unlike the Labour Party, we're focused on you and your issues, not on talkfests in Melbourne, not on a bunch of other stuff. And I think everyday New Zealanders are waking up to that. That's why the government's under pressure and on the ropes. I'm going to come back to those couple of digs you just had at the PM in there ` thinly veiled ` but this time last year` Not that thinly. No, no... The truth is this ` Prime Minister Ardern is our prime minister, and my constitutional duty is to hold her and her government to account ` not in a personal way, not with those Green-style attack ads or other such things, but on her policies and so on, and they are failing to deliver for New Zealanders. Let's talk about the protests at Ihumatao. The government has said that they side with the local iwi, not the protesters. What do you think? Where do you stand on that? I understand, at a level, the complexities of the history and the culture and of the site. I think what swings it for me, though, is a couple of things. First and foremost, actually, the developers are going to do a very respectful job. They understand some of the sites of interest. What's also clear ` and we've talked about it already in this interview ` is New Zealanders need housing, and they need it today. And that's 450-some, as I understand it, good houses for New Zealanders. I think, given that the local iwi` So push on with the development? Given that the local iwi are` Clear out the protesters? Well, given that it's going to be done sensitively, I support the development. It's been a tough year for you, the last year to date ` Jami-Lee Ross saga, the continued low polling results ` we'll debate that until the cows come home ` (LAUGHS) ...speculation about your leadership and the resignation of your finance spokesperson Amy Adams. That was a huge blow. Is your party strong enough to take on Jacinda Ardern in 2020? No question. The reality is we are a big, strong party. We know what to do. On the three things I think that really matter ` our competence, the economy and what we'll deliver for New Zealanders, and services. People know our strengths. I believe we'll win the next election. Thank you very much for your time, Simon Bridges. Cheers. Thanks. That was Tova O'Brien with National Party leader Simon Bridges. And Tova joins me now live from the National Party conference. Tova, it's all kicking off about now. What can we expect? Yeah, Simon Bridges has just spoken, Simon. He got a warm reception, standing ovation, plenty of LOLs at his gags. But it was a slightly different tone from conferences ` last year's conference, previous conferences ` slightly lower-key. And speaking of key ` John Key ` he also got a warm reception when Simon Bridges gave him a shout-out in his speech. He arrived slightly late, John Key ` Sir John Key ` possibly one of the many victims of the fog here in Christchurch. But Simon Bridges' speech really focused on that pivot to the party ` so less about that cult of personality stuff that we saw at the National Party conference last year; more about what the National Party can do for the base. But the star of the show so far was actually Simon Bridges' wife, Natalie. She gave him a warm, funny introduction, plenty of gags, even took the mickey out of his accent, called him a buffoon ` a reference to that Boris Johnson thing ` but very endearing and warm, and a nice way to kick off the conference for Bridges. I know you've got to go, but quickly ` any word on any specific announcements as yet? Our sources have been telling us that tomorrow's announcement ` that's the big announcement from the leader ` is going to be around cancer, so, the National Party's cancer plan that could include a cancer agency. But certainly, there's been a lot of reference to making those cancer drugs that are freely available in Australia available in New Zealand, and that was referenced in Simon Bridges' speech today ` one of the first policy things that he talked about. So I expect that tomorrow's announcement will be a cancer plan of sorts, pipping the government at the post, cos it's planning on announcing its in a couple of weeks. All right, Tova, thank you very much for your time. Up next ` our panel delves into the nitty-gritty of the week's news and politics. Plus ` allegations of harassment from a Uyghur man against the Chinese embassy in New Zealand. Welcome back. Earlier this month, New Zealand joined 21 other countries in a letter to the UN condemning China's treatment of its ethnic Muslims ` the Uyghurs. Concerns include people being detained in Chinese camps and reports of others being returned to China against their will from abroad. Now a Uyghur man living in New Zealand has told Newshub Nation he fears for his safety after receiving threatening phone calls from the Chinese embassy. His message for our government ` 'Please protect me and my people.' Here's Mike Wesley-Smith. (SLOW PIANO MUSIC) In 2010, Shawudun Abdulgofur escaped to New Zealand from China. I am the luckiest one. I survived. I don't know do I have any relatives alive or dead. His people are the Uyghurs ` ethnic Muslims from the Xinjiang region of China that are being rounded up and held in Chinese government camps. (SIGHS) At the moment, I know my mum in a concentration camp. She is 78. Shawudun says he's not been able to contact his mother since 2016, nor any of his three brothers, who he says have been jailed simply for being Uyghurs. My little brother, he was a teacher. I just want my mum. As a human, I wish to listen to her voice. I miss my family. His memories of a family disappeared kept alive by small, poignant reminders ` memories, photos and his collection of roses. My mum, she loves flowers. It's for the love. It's humanity, so I love those. This is the first time Shawudun has spoken on camera ` a decision he has not made lightly. If I go back to China, I will die or disappear. Even I am not feeling so safe in New Zealand. He says he's now being harassed here in New Zealand, receiving numerous threatening phone calls from the Chinese embassy. ANSWERPHONE: Please leave a message. I'll call you back. It comes from Chinese embassy. They called me. They say I am traitor. Shawudun has recorded some of the phone calls. In this one, a person purporting to be a Chinese official asked Shawudun to go to the Chinese embassy to collect a package. Why do you think they want you to go to the embassy? They want to ask me for information about Uyghurs. Shawudun fears for his safety so has not been to the embassy. And when he calls the numbers back, often they are disconnected. AUTOMATIC VOICE: The number you have called is not currently active. The Chinese embassy did not respond to our repeated attempts to seek a response to these allegations of harassment. Did you report those threats to any New Zealand authority? Yes. I went to police. They... They didn't do anything for us. The police told us the complaint was filed away because all lines of inquiry had been exhausted. However, they've since advised officers will be speaking to Shawudun about any new information he might have. Uyghurs say their Muslim religion has effectively been outlawed by the Chinese government in the Xinjiang province. A United Nations panel and the US government say in Xinjiang province, there are internment camps where around one million Uyghurs have been detained indefinitely without charge. This is Scott Busby, a deputy assistant secretary from the US state department, giving evidence to a US senate committee in December 2018. First, China denied the existence of such camps. But as public reports have emerged, Chinese authorities now assert that they are 'vocational education centres'. The apparent goal is to force detainees to renounce Islam and embrace the Chinese Communist Party. The satellite imagery from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute shows the region's camp network, which it is believed has doubled in the last year. Former detainees who have reached safety have spoken of relentless indoctrination and harsh conditions. Chinese government videos paint a different picture of life in the camps. (SPEAKS CHINESE LANGUAGE) But parts of the international community are beginning to express concern, including our prime minister on her visit to China in April this year. I did raise issues around human rights, particularly as it relates to Xinjiang. This month, New Zealand was one of 22 countries to sign a letter presented to the United Nations Human Rights Council about China's treatment of Uyghurs. Absolutely acknowledge the human rights issues that exist for the Uyghur people. It's, I think, the most significant, on-the-record comment by New Zealand on what China is doing. Robert Ayson is a professor of Strategic Studies at Victoria University. He says one factor the government has likely considered in its response is that China is New Zealand's largest trading partner with two-way trade valued at $28 billion. I think one of the reasons that New Zealand may have signed on to this letter was there was some safety in numbers. If you stand up on your own and you take on China on human rights issues publicly, there can be some repercussions. China was very embarrassed by the letter. And China also said, basically, that this was, pretty much, false information. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has pushed back with its own letter signed by 37 countries ` including North Korea and Russia ` commending China for its human rights achievements. In a statement, the Chinese embassy said that in Xinjiang, different cultures and religions coexist and that ethnic cultures have been fostered and developed in the embrace of the Chinese civilisation. The Chinese government has also accepted a UN recommendation to respond positively to a visit request by the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion. Foreign Minister Winston Peters was unavailable to be interviewed for this story, but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade provided this statement. But concerns that the reach of the Chinese government may be growing in New Zealand are shared among members of New Zealand's Falun Gong community ` practitioners like Wendy Cao, who says Falun Gong is a spiritual discipline. We believe in the principles of truthfulness, compassion, forbearance to improve our morals. But the Chinese government has banned the group, considering it to be anti-China. We are just against the persecution of Falun Gong and against the human rights abuses in China. Wendy says she's been peacefully protesting against the Chinese government for almost 20 years ` a stance, she says, saw the tyres of her van tampered with in 2008, something, she says, was discovered by her mechanic during a Warrant of Fitness check. The mechanic remarked to me saying that, 'The front tyre of your vehicle has been cut.' I was shocked, because they were new tyres. She says he told her the front two tyres had been cut in the same manner. They deliberately cut... the tyres. Wendy says, at the time, she did not report the incident to police. The Chinese police do so many evil and horrible... We don't trust that much with the New Zealand police. Again, in relation to a specific claim of harassment, the Chinese embassy has not responded to us regarding Wendy's claims. For her part, she is adamant it was carried out by someone connected to the Chinese government. They don't respect we have rights here in New Zealand. And it's not the only way she says she's been harassed. Police have confirmed Wendy laid a complaint in 2015 about being threatened while protesting outside the Chinese consulate in Auckland. Without the ability to identify the perpetrator and connect them to other governments, you know, it's very difficult. And, of course, even if a person was identified, there's a whole issue of diplomatic immunity. Auckland Barrister Kerry Gore represents many refugees from China that allege human rights violations at the hands of the Chinese government. Illegal arrest, unlawful detention, brainwashing, physical torture, transformation in an effort to persuade people to abandon their beliefs. He has represented Falun Gong practitioner Guohua Huang, who lives in New Zealand with his daughter Luna. Thank you. Come in. Come in. Guohua fled to New Zealand in 2006 after he says he was detained in a Chinese labour camp with his wife in 2002. They kept me and my wife in our home. They were searching our rooms... and found some... Falun Gong books and some videos. In the labour camp, they always like to beat us... and push us to in the dark room. He says he was then separated from his pregnant wife, Lua Huang. I always thought they killed my wife and with my unborn baby. Guohua says Chinese authorities told him his wife had thrown herself from the third storey of a building, but neither he nor his daughter accept that explanation. Because she was three months' pregnant at that time, and she was able to make a call to my grandmother. And she told her that she would have the child. Luna was only 18 months old when she lost her mum. I could've had a mother. I could've had a great life with her, but because of the persecution, we've had to suffer so much ` both me and my father... and my mother's family as well. Luna and Guohua have presented a letter to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, asking her to publically condemn the treatment of the Falun Gong by the Chinese government. If anyone can do it, she can do it. My favourite flag. My two countries. I love New Zealand. As for Shawudun Abdulgofur, he has this plea for the New Zealand government... For me,... please protect me. He says he will not be silenced and just hopes that the New Zealand Police and the government will listen. We all love our children. Children is innocent. Should speak up just for the child. Really, it's them. Give them freedom. Until then, he waits for the day his mother may also have the freedom to come visit him and his little rose garden and his new home in New Zealand. The prime minister's office declined to comment on the concerns raised by the people in our story. We also asked our intelligence agencies for a statement, but in keeping with their long-standing practice, we were told they would not comment on matters that they may or may not be operational. OK, up next ` our panel on the week that was in politics. Plus ` in the House, whose claws are recently sharpened and out on his first week back from recess? Welcome back, and I am joined now by our panel ` Brigette Morten, Senior Consultant for Silvereye; political commentator David Slack; and Laura Walters, who is the senior reporter for Newsroom.co.nz. Thanks for coming along this morning, guys. Laura, first to you, a last-minute change of heart from the government over Ihumatao. Did it get too uncomfortable? Yes, it was a big flip, you're right. So, a few days ago, Jacinda Ardern was saying, 'This isn't one for us. Government can't come and ride roughshod over this. 'This is for the mana whenua and those already involved in the dispute to work out.' And then it was very interesting. We saw all of these people posting and linking to on social media the press releases from Labour in 2015, 2016 when they were in opposition and they were calling on the former National government to get in and do something. So they couldn't` You know, they kind of had to step in there and do something. And, yeah, I do think they've done the right thing, come in and said, 'We're a facilitator. 'We're not going to tell you what to do, 'but we're gonna try and use our position to bring people around the table.' Because they just couldn't stay out of it any longer. OK, so, do you think, David, that... You know, the Green Party turned up. There's, like, thousands of protesters expected there this week. And do you think the government underestimated the strength of feeling over this particular protest? I think they thought it` Yeah, I think you're right. And I think they hoped that just saying that they took the position of mana whenua, that that would be enough. And as Laura says, it turned out that was not nearly enough. And I think they have found the most constructive and, likely, productive next step, and that is get people in a room. Whenever you get people talking, you're in a better position than having people just taking an entrenched position from afar. I'm not sure, though, that you can get a ready resolution out of that, and Peeni Henare was very clear about that this morning, careful not to overpromise it. Well, that's right. It is messy, this situation, isn't it, Brigitte? And getting everybody in the room is gonna be tough, because they had this meeting yesterday; everybody was in the room except the protesters. And you've got all these court and consenting agreements, everything like that. I don't think it could get any messier, could it? Yeah, and it's particularly messy, I think, because it's Labour in government, and we know the power of the Labour Maori caucus. They do bring a lot of votes to this party. They've got to be really careful here with, you know, picking sides. And I think we saw Peeni Henare really do that carefully, and that he's not trying to overpromise and he's not trying to pick, you know, one side over the other, because it is a really delicate situation for them politically. And they're walking a fine line there. Like you say, it's a delicate situation. But at the end of the day, they're gonna have to act, aren't they? Cos, like you say, Maori gave Labour so many votes at the last election. They really rewarded them. But now they have to front up. Yeah, but if they act one way versus the other, they could burn some of those sides off versus the other. So I don't think there is a perfect solution going to be found. And at the end of the day, I think there's still going to be some very angry people within the community. Well, that's right. And Peeni Henare referred to the impasse and the breakdown in relations between the mana whenua and the protesters, and we've seen, you know, press releases from the local iwi saying 'these are not our people; 'they don't speak for us'. And so how's the government gonna override them for the sake of this louder voice? It's not the first time we've seen this, either, it's worth bearing in mind. You have in particular ` the Ngapuhi settlement has been bedevilled by this for years now, partly because it is a large entity. But you've got various people saying, 'No, they don't speak for us. No, we speak for them.' It has never been straightforward establishing that. And it's not necessarily emphatic, I think, to say, 'OK, we've reached a position here now, 'and we can say with confidence this is who speaks for all.' And I think it's very clear this is not who speaks for all here. And there have been interesting contributions made by younger people saying, 'Really, we're talking about a small number of kaumatua who we assert do not at all represent 'a wider interest of people in the area, let alone people from further away.' So nothing's simple about this. And what is also not simple is that, as Peeni Henare alluded to, if the government goes in and does buy the land, what does that mean for that particular treaty settlement and all the other treaty settlements? I mean, that's also messy, isn't it? Yeah, it basically opens up everything again. I mean, we've made, actually, quite a lot of process in New Zealand with treaty settlements, and there has been a lot of positive progress made. But essentially, this means back to the drawing board on everything, because previously, or up to this point, there has been a precedent that it has not been about private land. And I think that's probably an important thing to keep in mind, because obviously we saw when the forebed` the seabed and foreshore issue came through, that was a lot about people feeling that suddenly what they had access to was going to be taken away. And if it goes down this path of private land being taken away, I think you could have some of those concerns raised again. But you noticed he never ruled it out, did he? He asked the question ` is this what government's prepared to do? He acknowledged it would be opening a can of worms, and he said, 'I'm gonna leave it there.' (LAUGHTER) It's also possible that you can` It's possible that you can distinguish, or at least find a little nuance here, because what we've got is something that was only recently acquired, in the process of development, as opposed to say, you know, farmland of three generations. And it only happened because, initially, the Manukau Council had said, 'No, no, we recognise the importance of this,' and carved it off. And then you got the new council regime that said, 'OK, no, away you go!' Special Housing Area now, yeah. And so, Fletcher Residential have only owned this for a few years. Fletcher Residential are people who, actually, I would suggest, if they made a decent offer, would very gladly accept it. Well, they've said that, already. Yeah, yeah. They said that in Feburary. And I think you can possibly make a distinction there, so that precedent is not set, or, you know, you can say this is not quite like all these other` Plus, of course, we're talking about a kind of New Zealand Stonehenge, for God's sake. So it's different again in that respect. Can I just go broader here? Laura, I'm gonna ask this to you. We've seen this sense of a movement growing around Oranga Tamariki. And now, Brigitte, you just referenced the Foreshore and Seabed. Could these kinds of things gel into a new Maori political movement? Yeah, I think you've absolutely hit on it, Simon. This is potentially that moment for the government, and they know this could be their Foreshore and Seabed moment. We've got the 'Hands Off Our Tamariki' rally coming up this week, and it's going to be massive. And, you know, they've got a huge lineup of speakers there. So there is this movement gaining... Of course, we don't have the Maori Party in Parliament at the moment. And this is the kind of thing that could give them a bit of rejuvenation. I think the government's gonna be really careful there, because, like I said earlier, Labour was rewarded with all of these seats last election, and now they're going, 'But what are you giving us?' You know? You've gotta front up with the goods. All right. Well, speaking of rejuvenation, it's the National Party conference in Christchurch at the moment. Simon Bridges has just released his video 'It's All About You'. Brigitte, is he rebranding himself and the party? No, it just seems like it's another step in the process. So, obviously, National's always had a really strong brand around the economy. Now I think they're trying to tell that story more carefully about what does that economy actually mean in terms of people, and what it means to actual voters. So, you know, does it mean your job or your farm or that sort of thing? So it doesn't feel like a complete rebrand. Obviously they've done and tried selling Simon as a person. So, it's really about the party. So you've gotta remember that this is the party conference. This is about reinvigorating the base, so this is a story, you know. This is not just about 'you', it's also about 'you', the National Party Member. OK. Are they trying to make Simon more statesmanlike, Laura? Um... (LAUGHS SOFTLY) Yeah, I` I` I did actually agree with that. I mean, this wasn't the slushies Simon. This` You know, it wasn't the yelling Simon Bridges we saw in the house. I think that Simon was the Simon that was getting his caucus back onside. That was the Simon that was saying, 'I am leader. I have strength here.' Now that he... I think he feels like he's a bit more solid in that position. They know that Judith Collins doesn't have those numbers within caucus. So now he's going out and, like Brigitte said, talking to his base. You know, I think less than a rebrand, it's more of a refocus. It's a refocus on those core National values that have always been there, that, you know, their base is gonna rally around. And they're gonna kind of strengthen that before next year's election. Right, so he's going for that core base and that sort of simple message, really. It's about the economy, and it's about you. David, he needs something to work, though, in terms of his polling numbers. Oh, well... (LAUGHS) Yeah. I think there's no doubt about that. It's interesting, really, you're embracing a fiction here. But it's one that is very enduring. What fiction is that? And that is that they are better at managing the economy. (LAUGHTER) You can actually contest that. And of course, other parties will with great vigour. But it resonates, and so it is` tactically, it is the smart thing to do. I think it also kind of surrenders, you know, we don't actually have here a leader who has some kind of very identifiable conviction, and he doesn't seem to speak with conviction. Because, I don't know, you don't get the sense that there's a driving passion that has brought him into this and has brought him to leadership. And so in that absence, you're left with something that's really, kind of, vague to the point of meaningless. (LAUGHS) I mean, all of these propositions... You can see I'm not entirely` You're not exactly a fan there, are you? And I'll say to all the people on the Twitter who'll be saying, 'Oh, that lefty's in getting stuck in again. He would say that.' Yeah, of course I would. But I'm very conscious that in order for your message to work, you've gotta have something that really galvanises, cuts through, and I don't see it. So, Brigitte, have they got to go this way with, like, going back to that simple message about economy and jobs to counteract the cult of personality of Jacinda Ardern? I think, absolutely, that they can't compete on the cult of personality. And I disagree here with David that he needs to be showing that's he's this big statesman with this big, sort of, value base. Because, what New Zealanders keep saying is we want authenticity. We want, you know, transparency. We want the everyday man who understands what we're talking about. And that's what they often talk about with Jacinda, is that that's what she brings to the table. They understand who she is and what she is, and I think that's what Simon's trying to do here. You know, this whole thing about his accent. When he's got a thick Kiwi accent, I think it's just spin doctors trying to, like, you know, pedal and try and turn it into something else. Most New Zealanders don't care. Actually, I wonder if that works for him. Because I do, in part, agree with what you were saying there, David, that he lacks that kind of identity and personality. And as much as Kiwis might say 'it's about the policy; it's not about the personality', we know that we don't live in that age any more. And so having something like that accent that cuts through and makes him memorable and stuff, I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. OK. Brigitte's right. Authenticity matters. But I think that what you need is authentically full of conviction. That's the magic combination. I think we all know where you stand on this, David. We'll leave it right there for the moment. Thank you very much to our panel for the moment. And please stay with us, cos we'll be back after the break. Welcome back. And we are back with our panel ` Brigitte Morten, David Slack and Laura Walters. Let's talk about the Green Party attack ad on National this week which they pulled after criticism. How did it go so badly, Brigitte? Well, I think it clearly indicated that James Shaw may be out of touch with his party and what they think is the right thing to do going into the campaign. It was a little bit concerning that they had to pull it down so quickly because the weight and the volume of feedback that they got from their party was so immense. It's not boding well for their campaign strategy. It's unusual to see such a personal attack ad, isn't it Laura? Yeah. It is from the Green Party. Yeah. And, I mean, other parties, that's part of what they do. And that's fine. We've come to accept it. But from the Greens, instantly everyone was going, 'Oh, what have they done?' (CHUCKLES) And people were` People in our office were talking about placing bets on how quickly it was going to come down. (ALL CHUCKLE) You saw the entire thing and exactly how it was going to play out. But on the flipside of it, it was quite, I think ` I don't whether endearing is the right word ` but I think the people who slammed them for it, their base, they are also quite happy that they responded and that they apologised quickly. They realised where they had made the mistake. And I mean, James Shaw has a bit of a weird sense of humour sometimes, so I wasn't that surprised that he was behind that. Can you put it down to James Shaw? Is it James Shaw behind this? Well, he didn't make the ad, but he said it was him that signed off on it. Right. OK. He said, 'I personally authorised this. 'This didn't go to the whole caucus.' Do you think the fact that they had to pull it down like that` I mean, the voter base for the Greens may be happy about that, but did it actually work for Simon Bridges, the fact that they did that? What do you think, David? Oh, yeah, possibly. Dying is easy. Comedy is hard. There's the lesson for the Greens out of this. Or actually, no. I've got another lesson for them. If they want to do a decent ad, I would do it this way. You say, 'If you want things to stay the same, vote National. If you want things to change, vote Labour. 'If you want the change to actually happen, vote Greens. 'And if you want things to stay the same and change and with more episodes of Coronation Street, 'vote New Zealand First.' (ALL CHUCKLE) You've just summed up the election campaign. Great. I think I have. Which has clearly already begun from these ads. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. I mean, we see it launch off. We saw the day that CGT was taken off the table, you know, New Zealand First puts a big campaign up on its social media, and we go, 'OK. The race is on.' The race is on. Mm. Well, it's also the` In terms of ads, we've seen National come out this week, Brigitte, with` Its attack ads about the car tax, so that's, you know, Labour's EV policy. Would they be more successful than, say, that Green ad? Yeah, I think it would, because it's not just one ad too. It's been running across their social media. It's been across the entire strategy during this recess. And it's also a classic, on-message, on-brand for the National Party. Nobody in the National Party base is complaining about that in the slightest. They're saying, 'You're right. I don't want to pay more for my ute.' So I think they have absolutely got it spot-on for their base, and I think we can see that they've taken some lessons from across the ditch with Scott Morrison's popularity. This is classic, 'They are trying to hurt your family and what your way of life is.' So, you make a point there about the fact that if you've got a reformist government that has a big agenda like the coalition government here ` and Labour and the Greens in particular ` would they lose or make some voters uncomfortable with the pace of reform? So, would voters go, 'Oh, I need something that's a bit safer?' Yeah. Absolutely. And we can see that there's almost the trifecta going into next year of euthanasia and abortion and marijuana. And also, then you've got these little things ` feebate, the car tax, plastic bag bans, methane targets that affect farmers. Just the kind of progress and the rate of change in things that affect people in their households, in their families, can make people feel quite uncomfortable and revert back to what they know. OK. Look, we're just gonna go over to the UK at the moment. And we've just seen Boris Johnson succeed as British PM. What does that bode for us, David? Oh, for us, I suppose, if he gets his Brexit, it means that we get more advantageous terms and maybe better access in terms of visas and things like that. But that's assuming he gets his Brexit. I don't think he can. He's trying to square the circle. It can't be done. He's also promising by, Laura, the end of October. That's a really tight time frame. Yeah, and October 31st. Halloween. Trick or treat. What's going to happen? Yeah. It is. And, I mean, it's been proven to be much harder than everyone thought to date, and it just wouldn't be surprising if in fact there's no deal. And just quickly, I... Yeah. I wanna know whether we have our own Boris Johnson here in terms of Simon Bridges who called Boris Johnson buffoon-like. Brigitte, I mean, does Simon Bridges have some of those characteristics? Well, going back to being the ordinary man and authenticity, I think you could argue that Boris is definitely his own man, and he's not shying away from who he is. Maybe that's Simon's tactic as well. Was it a mistake, Laura, do you, think ` 'buffoon-like'? I don't think it was a mistake. I don't know if he meant for it to come out of his mouth in that moment and really realised what he meant when he said it, but it's actually played really well for him. You know, he's been able to kind of have a bit of a joke about it. And Boris won't care. That's not going to hurt our relationship. He leans into that persona. He loves it. You know, we talk about him ruffling his hair before he goes on to camera and things like that. You know, that's who he is, and he's fine with it. What I think's really interesting is everyone that was asked to describe Boris Johnson, they talk about how intelligent he is. And they more they say he's intelligent, the more I think, is he? Why do they have to keep telling us this? So, yeah. And quickly, David, do you think 'buffoon-like' is the kind of authenticity that the voters are looking for in Simon Bridges? Yes, I think that saying that actually shows that he's not massaging what he says, and that satisfies that authenticity that Brigitte was saying matters. Yeah. OK. Well, thank you very much for your time, Brigitte, Laura and David. OK. Well, recess is over, and refreshed MPs from all parties predictably came out swinging in the chamber. Here's Finn Hogan with the week that was in Parliament. FINN HOGAN: Well, recess is over, and the usual suspects are back to their old tricks with Speaker Trevor Mallard wasting no time reminding everyone who's boss. Because Mr Speaker, I also know that some of the criteria` (POLITICIANS CLAMOUR) MALLARD: Order! Ooh. That's enough. The member has been warned about making that statement in the past. Dr Smith will stand, withdraw and apologise, and if he repeats the statement, he will leave the house. Chris Hipkins took a swipe across the aisle, bragging about what the government had already accomplished. I would point out to the member, however, that as at the end of June, this year the Parliament has passed more legislation than at any point at this time of the year over the last decade. (PEOPLE CLAMOUR) In those previous years, however, we haven't ever had an opposition quite as distracted and divided as the current opposition are. But it wouldn't be a sitting week without National taking a swing at their favourite policy punching bag ` KiwiBuild. Thank you, Mr Speaker. To the Minister of Housing... ...then why did the KiwiBuild website state that KiwiBuild had, '220 homes completed,' if, in fact, they didn't? Luckily for Labour, their new Housing Minister seemed more than ready to spar with the Crusher. Mr Speaker, I think the member is confused with the numbers. Let me go through them with her. So, basically, it's back to business in the House this week, because in the words of Chris Hipkins... Mr Speaker, there's only so much fun I can tolerate at any given time. All right, and that's all from us for now. Don't forget, you can listen to Newshub Nation wherever you get your podcasts from. But for now, thanks for watching, and we'll see you again next weekend. Captions by Alex Walker, Kristin Williams and John Gibbs. Captions were made with the support of NZ On Air. www.able.co.nz Copyright Able 2019 This programme was made with the assistance of the New Zealand on Air Platinum fund.