Watch: Nats take digs at Andersen's radio gaffe – but Labour MP gets one back

Author: Jamie Ensor,
Publish Date: Wed, 2 Sep 2026, 4:21pm

National’s Nicola Willis took repeated jabs at Ginny Andersen in the House on Wednesday after the Labour MP had to earlier backtrack on her incorrect claim that a land transport fund didn’t pay for road maintenance.

Wanting Willis to have another opportunity to take the mickey out of Andersen, National’s Hutt South MP Chris Bishop sought permission for the Labour MP, his electorate rival, to ask another question.

But it was Andersen who had the last laugh, using the opportunity to ask the National MP whether he had done any recent polling in Hutt South, a seat he is expected to lose.

It had the House – and Bishop – laughing, with Speaker Gerry Brownlee telling those watching on television the election campaign “has clearly started in here”.

Appearing on Newstalk ZB, Andersen on Wednesday morning falsely claimed road maintenance wasn’t funded by the National Land Transport Fund (NLTF).

National’s Mark Mitchell, speaking alongside her, said that was incorrect, but Andersen didn’t let up and questioned Mitchell’s credibility.

Later, after a commercial break, Andersen admitted she had been “wrong”.

In the House on Wednesday afternoon, Andersen asked Willis, the Economic Growth Minister, about whether she stood by her statement the Government was “determined that New Zealanders who are seeking work can find it”.

Willis responded by saying she did and “one of the ways that we are supporting job creation is by ensuring that the National Land Transport Fund is topped up”.

“Contrary to the wrongful assertions of some members of the House, the National Land Transport Fund is used to fund the road maintenance programme.”

Willis tied her responses to further questions from Andersen back to the NLTF and road maintenance.

When Andersen began asking a question by asking Willis if she was “out of touch”, many on the Government benches laughed, leading the Speaker to intervene and to get Andersen to repeat herself.

Andersen: “Is she really that out of touch that she thinks New Zealanders are leaving our country by choice?”

Willis: “Just to add salt to the wound of that member’s ignorance on the radio this morning, no, there is no Government law requiring people to leave the country against their will.”

“If it is the member’s proposition that that be the proposal, then that is right up there with her telling Mark Mitchell that he had no economic credibility because she was right about the Land Transport Fund.

“That member needs to ask herself whether she should really keep asking [more questions] today.”

In response to another question from Andersen, Willis said: “She’s a sucker for punishment.”

At the end of the exchange, Bishop stood up to seek leave for the House to give Andersen another question “in light of how well this one’s going”.

Andersen stood with a question: “Has he done any recent polling in Hutt South lately?”

The question had most of the House laughing, including Bishop. Those on the Opposition side clapped.

Bishop is currently the Hutt South MP, but has acknowledged that on current polling, it could be difficult for him to retain the seat. Andersen has been his rival in the electorate at the three previous elections, winning in 2020, and is standing again.

Brownlee told those “either watching or listening to the broadcast, please understand that we are literally, I think it’s now about six [sitting] days away from Parliament lifting for the election”.

“But the campaign has clearly started in here.”

Jamie Ensor is the NZ Herald’s chief political reporter, based in the press gallery at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. He was a finalist in 2025 for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.