National planned social media ban launch before Cabinet signed off

Summarised by Centrist

National was preparing to announce its proposed under-16 social media ban more than a month before Cabinet formally approved the legislation, despite public opposition from both coalition partners.

Emails obtained by the NZ Herald under the Official Information Act show Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's office had confirmed plans for an August 24 announcement as early as July 23.

The July 23 email stated the event would “announce we are progressing the ban for under-16s and the bill is being introduced”.

By August 13, Parliament's Grand Hall had been booked under Education Minister Erica Stanford's name, with approximately 80 guests expected.

An official event brief described a “Post-Cab announcement regarding a social media ban”, with campaigners from the B416 online-safety movement among the invited guests.

Invitations sent on August 20 referred explicitly to a “Social Media Announcement”. Other National MPs were also preparing for the announcement before Cabinet's decision.

Cabinet approved introducing the legislation on August 24, and the event proceeded that afternoon.

However, ACT and NZ First had already publicly opposed the proposed ban.

NZ First leader Winston Peters subsequently disputed suggestions that the legislation represented agreed Government policy.

“Thirty-three years on from people voting for MMP, here we are having to tell a coalition partner how MMP works,” Peters said.

Stanford defended the advance planning, saying the event had been organised to discuss online harms and could have proceeded without announcing legislation if Cabinet had withheld approval.

She said the announcement was always subject to Cabinet's decision.

Read more at The NZ Herald (paywalled)

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