PM Jacinda Ardern: Cabinet's Ihumātao and public media merger decisions pushed to 2020

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has wrapped up the last Cabinet meeting of the year with her Ministers. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has wrapped up the last Cabinet meeting of the year with her Ministers and has revealed the Government's response to two major issues won't be announced until next year.

A further issue, the Labour Party's response to the Maria Dew, QC, report – which investigated allegations of sexual assault within the Labour leader's office – has also been delayed as Ardern has yet to receive the report.

Speaking to her post-Cabinet press conference this afternoon, Ardern said ministers were making "some positive progress" around the issue of the land at Ihumātao.

But Cabinet is not in a position to make any announcements on that front yet, Ardern said.

"As soon as we're in a position to make announcements, we will – but that's not today."

As this was the last Cabinet meeting of the year, the decision has been pushed out until 2020.

Ardern has a similar line when asked about a potential merger of state-owned RNZ and TVNZ.

Ministers are discussing combining the two into one entity.

Cabinet also discussed this today, but Ardern said that conversation was also ongoing.

"Further announcements [are] down the track, I'll leave to [Broadcasting] Minister Faafoi but I think it's fair to say we all agree that we need to make sure that we are bolstering public broadcasting in the current environment."

Asked if there would be an announcement about the public media before the end of the year, Ardern said that Faafoi had indicated that Cabinet would have discussions – "and they have".

"There will be an iterative process."

But she said the parties that make up the Government were on the same page when it comes to public broadcasting.

On the issue of the Dew report, Ardern said that "unfortunately," she was still awaiting that report.

"We are very keen to make sure that we complete that process," she said.

Asked if the report would be back before the end of this week, Ardern said: "I would hope so, yes."

"We will look to move as quickly as we can – but ultimately, it still sits with her and we are awaiting that in the same way you are."

That report was meant to be finished by now and already with the party.

There is no guarantee that this report will be made public; Ardern has always said this would be guided by the complainants.