Luxon leads final-week parliamentary press briefing on trade, law reforms and supermarkets

As Parliament begins its concluding week of the session, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon will front the weekly post-Cabinet press conference. He will likely highlight that the India Free Trade Agreement is poised to receive royal assent, clearing its final legislative hurdle. Luxon is also expected to promote the government's Resource Management Act overhaul, with the bills slated for their third and final readings this week.

The agenda includes a focus on supermarket competition, following Labour's recent announcement to force Woolworths and Foodstuffs to operate their distribution arms independently. National has floated a further split of Pak’nSave from Four Square and New World, contingent on a positive recommendation from the Commerce Commission. In a radio interview, Luxon affirmed his support for the competition plan but said it would not proceed without the commission's approval, emphasizing that the supermarket sector remains fundamentally uncompetitive.