New Government policies and Ministers

Update: 1 February 2024

The Government’s Coalition Agreements include a commitment to repeal the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act to remove the requirements for denicotinisation and the reduction to 600 retail outlets.

The Tobacco Regulatory Authority suspended the Approved Smoked Tobacco Retailer scheme on Friday 1 December 2023. No further applications from retailers who want to sell smoked tobacco products are being accepted. Applications already submitted will be held in the system for the time being. Application fees will be refunded but details around the amount and timing of the refund are not yet finalised.

Retail NZ has successfully asked Associate Health Minister Casey Costello and the Ministry of Health to suspend the requirement for vaping retailers to provide their 2023 annual return by 31 January 2024. Annual returns have been paused until the end of March while the Ministry of Health is updating the current forms.

Additionally, we were successful in lobbying for the removal of the requirement for General Vape Merchants to provide total sales revenue in their annual return. The Ministry of Health website has been updated to say:

General vape retailers will not be required to provide their total sales revenue of non-vaping products as part of their return.

We are continuing to work with Ministry officials on changing the publication of the total store revenue of Specialist Vape Merchants to the percentage of sales. This has not yet been confirmed.

The new Government’s policies are set out in two Coalition Agreements:

one between the New Zealand National Party and ACT New Zealand, see here, and
the other between the New Zealand National Party and New Zealand First, see here.

Here is the list of Ministers and their responsibilities.

The impact on the retail sector

Some key policies that will impact on the retail sector are listed below in the words of the Coalition Agreements.

A. National and Act:

Narrow the Reserve Bank’s remit, to focus on price stability, and take advice on replacing “medium term” with specific time targets.
Reform market studies introduced by the Commerce Amendment Act 2018 to focus on reducing regulatory barriers to new entrants to drive competition.
Immediately establish a new ministerial portfolio for Regulation.
Repeal the Fair Pay Agreement regime by Christmas 2023
Expand 90-day trials to apply to all businesses.
Remove median wage requirements from Skilled Migrant Category visas.
Increase funding for the Department of Corrections to ensure there is sufficient prison capacity as required.
Amend the Sentencing Act 2002 and associated legislation to ensure appropriate consequences for criminals, including:
- Giving greater weight to the needs of victims and communities over offenders.
- Including gang membership as an aggravating factor during sentencing.
- Including the victim working sole charge or adjacent to a dwelling as an aggravating factor during sentencing.
Strengthen the electronic monitoring regime.
Repeal amendments to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 and regulations before March 2024, removing requirements for denicotisation, removing the reduction in retail outlets.
Introduce serious penalties for selling vapes to under 18s, and consider requiring a liquor licence to sell vapes.
Immediately issue stop-work notices on Auckland Light Rail and Let’s Get Wellington Moving.

Read National and ACT Coalition Agreement

B. National and New Zealand First

Restore law and order by backing Police to tackle gangs, boot camps for serious young offenders, and stronger sentencing so New Zealanders can feel safe.
Establish a select committee inquiry into banking competition with broad and deep criteria to focus on competitiveness, customer services, and profitability.
Reduce Core Crown expenditure as a proportion of the overall economy.
Establish a select committee inquiry into banking competition with broad and deep criteria to focus on competitiveness, customer services, and profitability.
Explore options to strengthen the powers of the Grocery Commissioner, to improve competitiveness, and to address the lack of a third entrant to remove the market power of a duopoly.
Improve the Accredited Employer Work Visa to focus the immigration system on attracting the workers and skills New Zealand needs.
Commit to moderate increases to the minimum wage every year.
Investigate the establishment of an “Essential Worker” workforce planning mechanism to better plan for skill or labour shortages in the long term.
Cancel Auckland Light Rail and Let’s Get Wellington Moving and reduce expenditure on cycleways.
Adequately resource community policing, including Māori and Pasifika wardens, Community Patrol New Zealand, and Neighbourhood Watch.
Introduce a suite of measures designed to tackle youth crime including consideration of a Youth Justice Demerit Point system.
Amend the Sentencing Act 2002 and associated legislation to ensure appropriate consequences for criminals, including:
- Giving priority to the needs of victims and communities over offenders.
- Including gang membership as an aggravating factor during sentencing.
- Ensuring real consequences for lower-level crimes such as shoplifting.
Repeal amendments to the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990 and regulations before March 2024, removing requirements for denicotisation, removing the reduction in retail outlets and the generation ban, while also amending vaping product requirements and taxing smoked products only.
Reform the regulation of vaping, smokeless tobacco and oral nicotine products while banning disposable vaping products and increasing penalties for illegal sales to those under 18.

Read National and New Zealand First Coalition Agreement

As always, if you are a Retail NZ member and have any issues, our Advice Service is here to help. You can email us, or call us on 0800 472 472 (1800 128 086 from Australia).