“They have got bottomless pits of money and I’m here standing up for our kids. I will go to anyone who’s willing to support me on this because this is what parents want.
“They need the tools to be able to protect their kids from the harmful algorithms that they’re just defenceless against.”
Stanford said today she had a proposal ready to take to Cabinet, but she couldn’t say whether she’d be able to get it through that process.
Both of National’s coalition partners, Act and NZ First, say they don’t support a social media ban for New Zealanders aged under 16.
That has raised the question of how National may progress any regulations as a Government bill.
“I will be talking to my coalition partners when we take it to Cabinet,” Stanford said.
She said she was aware of comments from the likes of Winston Peters at his party conference over the weekend, where he said NZ First didn’t support a ban, but “what he will do at Cabinet, I don’t know yet”.
Asked by the Herald how unusual it was to be taking a policy to Cabinet without knowing what the result would be, Stanford said the coalition parties had “different views on a number of things”.
“We’ve been through this in the past and we work well together, but occasionally, there are times when we don’t all agree and we have a very respectful conversation and agree to disagree on some things, but I’m not going to presuppose what will happen in Cabinet, because I don’t know yet.”
Stanford has previously confirmed she has sought Labour’s help to try to pass her potential ban.
“I have met with Labour MPs on a number of occasions alongside my officials. If ever there was an issue to set aside politics, it’s this one,” Stanford said.
“I have been willing to speak to any party that shares our goal to back parents and protect children from the harms of big tech.”
Labour’s Chris Hipkins said his MPs had been speaking to Stanford about the issue.
It was difficult to make a call on whether the party would support the proposal until Labour knew “exactly what it is that they’re going to propose”.
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.
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