First@5AM — it was another busy weekend across Waatea’s platforms, with Election 2026 gathering pace, major transport and pay equity announcements, a new strategy from Te Pāti Māori, and calls to protect one of Aotearoa’s best-known heritage landmarks.
Across the Pacific, more than 50 New Zealand Defence Force personnel have been working on Penrhyn in the northern Cook Islands as part of Exercise Tropic Twilight. The month-long humanitarian mission has included new water tanks, school and hospital repairs, healthcare and dental services, machinery maintenance and extensive maritime surveying.
Back home, Ata Tū wrapped up four days of interviews spanning politics, hauora, the Māori economy, climate change, artificial intelligence, pay equity and the election. The programme has continued to bring political, community and business leaders together as the campaign heads into its final weeks.
Early childhood education also moved onto the election agenda, with parents being urged to scrutinise what political parties are offering for tamariki, whānau and the ECE workforce. Affordability, access, staffing and the quality of early learning are increasingly part of the wider cost-of-living debate.
Pay equity became another major campaign issue. The Greens have backed restoring the pay equity system and funding a settlement for around 65,000 care and support workers, with the NZCTU saying the proposed settlement would require around $1.1 billion annually. Labour has separately committed to restoring pay equity legislation and prioritising care and support workers if it forms the next Government.
Transport was also firmly in the spotlight, with the Green Party unveiling a multi-billion-dollar public transport programme. Its proposals include bringing intercity passenger rail back into greater use, new sleeper services, electric buses, rail investment and cheaper public transport fares.
Meanwhile, the future of the Chateau Tongariro remains under scrutiny. Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton is calling for a firm pathway to restore the Category 1 heritage landmark as its centenary approaches, arguing its future is tied not only to heritage but also tourism, regional jobs, iwi aspirations and the wider Ruapehu economy.
Climate policy has also returned to the campaign battlefield, with the Greens demanding answers from the Government over a complaint connected to New Zealand’s climate commitments under its free trade agreement with the European Union. The issue adds trade and international obligations to an already crowded election debate over climate policy.
And Te Pāti Māori has sharpened its electorate strategy, announcing a one-person party list for Election 2026 and placing even greater emphasis on its candidates winning electorate seats. The move puts the Māori electorates firmly at the centre of the party’s campaign strategy as voting day approaches.
From Penrhyn to Tongariro, from pay equity to passenger rail and the battle for the Māori vote, that is some of what has been making news across Waatea’s platforms this weekend — First@5AM.
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