ASB is on a hiring drive to recruit 80 additional home ownership specialists as it prepares for a surge in home loan applications. 80 percent of New Zealand homeowners are expected to refix their home loan within the next year, according to the Reserve Bank of New Zealand. While most of the 80 full time specialists have now been recruited, there are still some roles being advertised. The specialists will work across the bank’s in-house home ownership team and mortgage adviser-led business.
With many Kiwi having locked in short-term rates when interest rates were higher, Adam Boyd, Executive General Manager of Personal Banking says ASB is already seeing a change in customer behaviour, with people starting to fix for longer terms. “As a result of falling rates, we expect 55 percent of our home loan customers will have locked in rates under 6 percent by December this year, compared to 40 percent in March 2025.”
ASB is also simplifying its refinance process so that Kiwi coming to the end of their fixed rate term at another bank can receive a decision on moving to an ASB loan quicker and more easily. For its mortgage adviser-led business, ASB has introduced a system to improve the quality of applications being submitted so they can be processed more quickly.
ASB was named Canstar’s 2025 Bank of the Year – Home Loans Award winner. The award recognised that ASB delivers mortgage products that combine ‘the best features with the lowest costs, plus provides great customer service at every stage of the mortgage journey’. ASB also won Canstar’s Outstanding Value Awards in four categories – Home Lender, Investment Home Lender, Fixed Home Lender, and Investment Fixed Home Lender.
“We are seeing elevated demand for our home loans. By growing our teams and enhancing our refinance process, we’ll be able to turn around applications faster, both for our customers and the mortgage advisers we work with, while continuing to deliver great service,” says Boyd.
“We continue to offer competitive pricing, having dropped fixed rate mortgages six times this year. Our one-year fixed term rate is currently joint market leading, at 4.99 percent.”
Strong returns and fewer issues helped lift sentiment, even with some investors disengaged, although that may be about to change.
“Consumer NZ’s People’s Choice award recognises products and services whose customers are highly satisfied,” says Consumer chief executive Jon Duffy.
Results from the nationally representative annual KiwiSaver satisfaction survey highlight the strengths and weaknesses of different retirement savings scheme providers.
“KiwiSaver customer satisfaction has improved noticeably in 2025. The sector’s overall satisfaction rating climbed to 57%, up from 52% in 2024,” says Duffy.
However, the coming years will test both the trust in and communication from providers, with Trump’s tariffs serving as one example of the immediate pressures contributing to ongoing global economic uncertainty.
Returns still rule, but interest in ethical investment is growing
Performance remains the strongest driver of satisfaction in the KiwiSaver space. Good returns are behind low switching rates, but concerns persist in areas such as fee fairness, accessibility and transparency.
“Ethical investment continues to attract high interest. Many New Zealanders say they care about whether their funds are invested in undesirable sectors, but few know the details of where their money goes.
“Many rely on trust in their provider. Around 40–50% believe providers are making genuine efforts to invest ethically, while a similar proportion remains unsure,” says Duffy.
Top KiwiSaver providers of 2025
Customer satisfaction leaders this year were small outfits again, more agile providers, recognised for offering strong investment returns, communication, fair fees and ethical investment options.
Generate – 80%
Milford Funds – 75%
Simplicity – 69%
People’s Choice standouts
Generate earned the People’s Choice award this year, for ease of access and the features of its digital platform.
Milford Funds extended its winning streak to eight years, thanks to strong communication and customer confidence in investment returns.
Simplicity featured for the sixth year in a row, widely praised for fee fairness and ethical focus.
Bottom of the pack – 2025’s lowest-rated providers
Larger providers continue to lag, especially in terms of measures like communication, fee satisfaction and keeping customers informed. The biggest gripe tends to be fees.
ANZ – The largest provider continues to see a decline in satisfaction year on year, with consistently poor performance on transparency and fees.
Smart – Struggles with engagement and customer support.
Mercer – Lowest-ranked overall, with concerns about service quality and value for money continuing to dominate feedback.
The Treasury staff published an analytical note in September 2024, highlighting that as New Zealand’s population ages, life expectancy increases, and fertility rates decline, there is mounting pressure to ensure retirement savings can support individuals throughout their extended retirement years. This highlights the growing importance of KiwiSaver for the financial wellbeing of New Zealanders, both now and in the future.
For these reasons, it is important that consumers engage with their investments, rather than staying passively in default schemes, to improve their returns and build greater financial security for their retirement.
About Consumer
Consumer NZ is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to championing and empowering consumers in Aotearoa. Consumer NZ has a reputation for being fair, impartial and providing comprehensive consumer information and advice.
6 May – Auckland, New Zealand – Following several significant senior appointments and acquisitions of related technology businesses over the past 18 months, Australasian systems integrator Fusion5 has formally announced its transition from a business applications company to a full-service transformation partner.
Formed in 2003, Fusion5 initially filled the gap between the big, strategically focused IT consulting firms and smaller, hands-on, agile applications software specialists. From a running start as a highly awarded digital partner to world-leading business application providers (including CRM, ERP, and HR) across Microsoft, Oracle, Workday and IBM, the company went on to add advanced technical and integration capabilities.
“To keep pace with the intensifying complexity of IT ecosystems, Fusion5 acquired complementary ‘best-in-class’ IT practices to expand our in-house digital capability,” says Sven Martin, CEO – Fusion5 Australia. “In particular, bringing IntegrationWorks into the fold in 2024 introduced significant skills, expertise, and referenceability – deepening our proficiency in systems integration.”
The company has also invested heavily in its culture and capability; adding strategic services such as consulting and advisory, a robust client-success program and managed services to ensure clients access the governance and innovation necessary for success.
However, despite providing its customers with a seamless approach to digital transformation, recent customer research identified a perception gap.
“Our evolution had out-paced market understanding,” says Martin. “Fusion5 goes beyond the role of typical systems integrators, IT consultants, business solutions implementors, or even managed services providers – to stitch all of that digital capability (and more) together as a cross-functional transformation partner. This convergence of solutions, services, and capabilities enables us to utilise AI as a strategic lever for transformation.
“We now offer our customers one-partner simplicity and the benefit of a Trans-Tasman team that’s geared up, both strategically and practically. In short, we can help our customers ‘go beyond’ what they ever expected to achieve with technology alone.”
Kristy Brown, CEO – Fusion5 New Zealand, adds: “Today’s CIO grapples with the ongoing tension of harnessing digital innovation while ensuring measurable IT performance. In other words – keeping the lights on while lighting up innovation. They must champion digital agility and prepare the business to leverage new technologies while optimising existing ones. Fusion5 offers a unique blend of business acumen and digital capability to bridge the vision-to-performance gap many business leaders face.”
To mark its evolution, Fusion5 has undertaken a major brand overhaul to better realign market perception and reflect its ‘go beyond’ transformation partner status.
Average annual returns of 10.03 percent after costs over the past 20 years make the New Zealand Superannuation Fund the world’s best-performing sovereign wealth fund, according to international sovereign wealth fund experts GlobalSWF.
GlobalSWF’s annual rankings compare the performance of 13 sovereign wealth funds and 37 pension funds from 18 countries across five continents. The NZ Super Fund’s returns for the 20 years to 30 June 2024 were well ahead of the average returns for both sovereign wealth funds (6.4 percent) and pension funds (6.8 percent).
The NZ Super Fund was also the top performing sovereign wealth fund during the past decade, with an average annualised return of 10.33 percent after costs.
NZ Super Fund CEO Jo Townsend said that over the past 20 years the Fund had significantly outperformed long-term performance expectations.
“In part, that reflects how well global equities, which presently make up about 60 percent of the Fund’s assets, have performed during that time. In addition, our active investment strategies have also outperformed both our Reference Portfolio benchmark and our long-term performance expectations,” Ms Townsend said.
Ms Townsend said the Guardians’ active investment strategies were designed to capitalise on its competitive advantages as an institutional investor, particularly its long investment horizon, operational independence, and clear and effective governance structure.
Ms Townsend said maintaining long-term, growth-oriented investment strategies through multiple market ups and downs had been central to the success of the NZ Super Fund.
The NZ Super Fund has $8 billion invested in New Zealand, including investments in forestry, agriculture and horticulture, and numerous listed and unlisted entities.
In the past year, the Fund had expanded its rural land portfolio, increased its investment in locally managed funds that provide growth capital to New Zealand businesses, and continued its involvement in various land development initiatives that will provide platforms for housing and social infrastructure.
The Government is amending the Equal Pay Act [the Act] to make the process of raising and resolving pay equity claims more robust, workable and sustainable, Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden announced today. Pay equity is achieved when women and men are paid the same for work that is different but of equal value: for example, care and support workers and mental health assistants perform work that is different but is of equal value. “It is clear the current Act is not working as intended, and amendments made by the previous government in 2020 have created issues. Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors. “The Government is committed to addressing these issues. The new and improved pay equity system will provide greater confidence that genuine pay equity issues will be correctly identified and addressed. “New Zealand’s pay equity regime is an outlier internationally. The Act allows employees and unions to bargain a pay equity settlement with multiple employers. In most countries we compare ourselves to, people raise pay equity claims against their own employer only, or there are legal requirements on employers to proactively take steps to achieve pay equity,” says Ms van Velden. Pay equity claims have been concentrated in the public sector, with a recent increase in the number of claims in the publicly funded sector. Costs to the Crown have become significant, with the costs of all settlements to date totalling $1.78 billion per year. “These changes will mean the pay equity claim process is workable and sustainable. There are often significant costs involved with pay equity settlements which can involve large workforces [e.g. around 94,000 people for the teachers claim] and we need to ensure the process to raise and resolve claims is robust. “The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown,” says Ms van Velden. There will be a better framework and guidance for parties to use to assess whether there is sex-based undervaluation. These changes include:
Raising the threshold of “predominantly performed by female employees” from 60 percent to 70 percent and requiring that this has been the case for at least 10 consecutive years. Ensuring there are reasonable grounds to believe the work is historically and currently undervalued, including a requirement for evidence. Further clarity and guidance on the use of comparators – work performed by men that is different to the claimant’s work but has similar skills, responsibilities, levels of experience, or working conditions to the claimant’s work. Employers being able to meet their pay equity obligations in a way that is sustainable for their business – for example through phasing of settlements.
The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims, but new claims can be raised under the amended Act if they meet the new requirements. Review clauses in existing settlements will become unenforceable. Settled claims can be re-raised 10 years after settlement, if the claim meets the new requirements. The changes are reflected in a Bill introduced today and going through Parliament under urgency, which will amend the Equal Pay Act and take effect the day after Royal assent.
Emergency services are at the scene of a serious single-vehicle crash on the Southwestern Motorway, northbound, between the Onehunga Harbour Rd on-ramp and the Queenstown Rd off-ramp.
Source: Police investigating after shots fired at Hastings house
Date: 05 May 2025
DOC Coromandel Senior Ranger Matt Flynn says the conifers are invasive weeds that threaten to permanently alter the unique landscapes only found in New Zealand.
Conifers were introduced to New Zealand in the 1880s. Since then they have spread across the country from forests, shelterbelts and erosion plantings.
Matt says there are five large wilding conifers dotted across Mautohe Cathedral Cove to be removed, and if left unchecked they are likely to spread the invasive species further across the reserve.
“Removing the wilding conifers supports our weed management and biodiversity restoration goals – enabling native flora and fauna to regenerate at Mautohe Cathedral Cove,” he says.
Contract arborists will be conducting the work, which will focus on areas above the rock archway and near the beach, on 8 and 9 May weather permitting.
The closure of the track is to ensure public safety, and visitors should stay out of the reserve while the arborists carry out their work.
People are discouraged from landing on the beach when the conifer removal is underway, and any visitors will be guided by contractors to a safe area away from the worksite.
The walking track is scheduled to reopen on Saturday, 10 May 2025.
Invasive species, over-exploitation, habitat loss, pollution and climate change are putting immense pressure on our ecosystems.
What we do makes a difference. We have proven in many parts of the country that when we remove or manage the threats, restore habitats or modify how we use or interact with nature, it comes back.
Tracks to Mautohe Cathedral Cove were closed in February 2023 due to extensive damage caused by Cyclone Garbrielle. DOC repaired the tracks through the second half of 2024, and they reopened to visitors in December 2024.
The winner of the 2025 Race Unity Speech Awards is Jordyn Joy Pillay, from Ormiston Senior College, Auckland.
Jordyn’s speech highlighted that diversity must be more than a moment – it must be a movement.
“I am the ocean I cannot be read I am calm and soothing and so accepting. Come to me …I’ll bring you peace. I see no difference. I’m home to fins and feathers, skin and scales …home to many, I freely give. I welcome you warmly. Abide in me.”
The awards were held at the Ngā Kete Wānanga Marae, Manukau Institute of Technology Ōtara Campus over the weekend and featured students from several schools across New Zealand.
This year’s theme – ‘Te Moana Nui o te Kanorau – The Great Ocean of Diversity’ – highlights our need for the natural harmony that we see in the outdoors to be replicated in our society. The metaphor also talks to our strength being in our differences.
Police Commissioner Richard Chambers is delighted to be the first Commissioner to attend the awards.
“Supporting initiatives like this represents our commitment to building trust and confidence with the diverse communities we serve,” Commissioner Chambers says.
Police Deputy Commissioner Jill Rogers, the chief judge of the awards, stressed the importance of providing a platform for rangatahi to discuss and share their thoughts on important societal issues.
“I am astonished by the quality of the speeches from our young people over the weekend,” she says.
“As Police, we are proud to be supporting a platform for our young people to voice their aspirations and solutions.”
Superintendent Rakesh Naidoo MNZM – National Partnerships Manager Ethnic, acknowledged the history of the award the partnership.
“As Iwi and Community Partnerships, we are honoured to have been supporters of these awards for nearly two decades. These awards offer us a meaningful platform to be highly visible amongst our youth and positively engage with them on issues that are important to them and their communities. Each year, we are inspired by the voices of our young people – who are leading us now and into the future,” he says.
About the Awards
The Race Unity Speech Awards were established by the New Zealand Bahá’í Community in memory of race relations advocate and Bahá’í Faith member Hedi Moani. Organised by the New Zealand Bahá’í Community, a religious community dedicated to promoting the oneness of humanity at various levels, the Speech Awards is supported by the New Zealand Police, the Human Rights Commission, Foundation North, Manukau Institute of Technology, Ministry for Ethnic Communities, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Speech New Zealand, Hedi Moani Charitable Trust, and Studio Marque.
Last updated 4 February 2021 Last updated 4 February 2021
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A privacy notice is an outward-facing document, a TEO usually publishes on a website, to show the public how you manage personal information. A privacy notice is an outward-facing document, a TEO usually publishes on a website, to show the public how you manage personal information.
It is especially necessary for people who will use your services, ie, students, to understand what you do with their information. Privacy notices contain similar information to consent forms. The difference is that a privacy notice relates to your whole organisation and can be referred back to students. A consent form is specific to one use of the information. A student may sign several consent forms during their study, but you only need one privacy notice.
World Press Freedom Day is a poignant reminder that journalists and media workers are essential for a healthy, functioning society — including the Pacific.
Held annually on May 3, World Press Freedom Day prompts governments about the need to respect press freedom, while serving as a day of reflection among media professionals about issues of press freedom and professional ethics.
Just as importantly, World Press Freedom Day is a day of support for media which are targets for the restraint, or abolition, of press freedom.
It is also a day of remembrance for those journalists who lost their lives in the pursuit of a story.
According to Reporters Without Borders, the press freedom situation has worsened in the Asia-Pacific region, where 26 of the 32 countries and territories have seen their scores fall in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
The region’s dictatorial governments have been tightening their hold over news and information with increasing vigour.
No country in the Asia-Pacific region is among the Index’s top 15 this year, with Aotearoa New Zealand falling six places to 19. [Editor’s note: these figures are outdated — from last year’s 2024 Index. Go to the 2025 index here).
Although experiencing challenges to the right to information, other regional democracies such as Timor-Leste (20th), Samoa (22nd) and Taiwan (27th) have also retained their roles as press freedom models.
Storytelling a vital art Storytelling is inherent in Pacific peoples, and it is vital this art is nurtured, and our narrative is heard loud and clear — a priority goal for Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL) and Pasifika TV.
Chief executive officer of PCBL Natasha Meleisea says Pacific-led storytelling is critical to regional identity, but like all media around the world, it faces all sorts of challenges and issues.
“Some of those current concerns include the need for journalism to remain independent, as well as the constructive use of technology, notably AI and that it supports the truth and does not undermine it,” Meleisea said.
Forums such as the Pacific Media Summit are critical to addressing, and finding a collective response to the various challenges, she added.
Resilient media sector Meleisea said some solutions to these issues were being implemented, to provide a resilient and sustainable media sector in the Pacific.
“It is a matter of getting creative, and looking at alternative platforms for content, as well as seeking international funding and building an infrastructure which supports these new goals,” she says.
“There is no doubt journalists and media workers are essential for a healthy, functioning society and when done right, journalism can hold those in power to account, amplify underrepresented stories, bolster democratic ideals, and spread crucial information to the public.
“With press freedom increasingly under threat, we must protect Pacific story sovereignty, and our voice at the table.”
Republished from Pasifika TV strategic communications.
Police are asking for information from the public after a series of incidents in Invercargill overnight, including two aggravated robberies.
Officers were called to a Dee Street premises about 2.30am on Monday 5 May, after a report of two people entering the store and assaulting the worker, demanding cash. They then fled the scene in a vehicle.
The worker was not seriously injured, however they were very shaken by what occurred.
An attempted burglary and two burglaries were subsequently reported at three further premises, on Windsor Street, Elles Road and Yarrow Street.
Then, about 4.20am, Police received a report that two people had entered a Tay Street premises and demanded cash and items. Fortunately, no one was hurt during the incident.
Police are making enquiries into each incident, and at this stage our information suggests they are linked.
Two vehicles were seen in the vicinity of some of the incidents. One of them, a red Toyota Vitz, has been involved in the offending. Police have recovered this vehicle, which was stolen the previous day.
The other vehicle is described as a dark-coloured car.
We would like to speak to anyone who saw vehicles fitting these descriptions between 1am and 5am.
Anyone with information about these vehicles or those involved is asked to contact Police via 105. Please use the reference number 250505/9732.
You can also share information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
The month of April was very warm across New Zealand, with last month very wet for northern parts of both islands, according to NIWA’s Climate Summary for April 2025.
Temperatures were well above average throughout the country. It was the warmest April on record for 22 locations, with a further 52 locations observing near-record high April mean temperatures.
April was very wet for Northland, Tasman, and Canterbury. Rainfall was above normal or well above normal for northern parts of the North Island, Taranaki, western Wellington, northern parts of the South Island, eastern Canterbury, and Central Otago.
Auckland was the coolest of the six main centres, Christchurch the coolest, Dunedin the driest and sunniest, while Tauranga was the wettest and least sunny for April.
Police have arrested a man following a series of reports about his behaviour from the Mt Wellington community.
Late last week, Police received reports about a man acting suspiciously around the morning school drop off times.
Auckland City East Area Prevention Manager, Inspector Rachel Dolheguy says the reports centred around the Mt Wellington Highway.
“Police attended on Wednesday and Friday after it was reported the man had been acting suspiciously around people near Harris Road.
“While he had not committed offences, Police were concerned about this man’s behaviour.
“Our frontline staff have been looking out for this man in recent days.”
This morning, Police received a 111 call reporting similar behaviour in the area.
Inspector Dolheguy says Police once again responded to the area, and arrested a man.
“The member of the public who contacted us was able to provide a clear description, which was able to assist the Police responding to the report.
“Our frontline team located this man outside shops near Harris Road.”
The 45-year-old Papakura man was arrested on four counts of breaching his bail and was taken into custody.
“It’s a pleasing result for us to remove this man from the area, and highlights a good partnership between community and Police,” Inspector Dolheguy says.
“This is a good reminder to continue reporting these incidents as they occur with as much detail as possible.”
Autumn is a time to celebrate the harvest at the Takitimu North Link Stage 1 project, following a golden construction season.
With piling on the project now 96 percent complete, the highway is really on solid ground,” says Manager of Infrastructure Delivery, Darryl Coalter.
“Interest in the project is extremely high with 370 people turning up to meet the team and see the progress at our Open Day recently, followed by a visit by the Minister of Transport, Chris Bishop, who declared the project ‘amazing’ and said he couldn’t wait to see it open.
“With 11 culverts now complete (out of 19), 72 percent of the utility work finished and over 163,000 hours of machinery work under our belt, we’re heading into the winter months in a strong position to continue to build our structures,” says Mr Coalter.
There are 6 bridges currently in construction, so while earthworks wind down for the cooler months, the site will still be a hive of activity, keeping the 275 people working on the project very busy.
“We’ve commenced trials for the first section of pavements at Te Mete, and we’ve already got 2km of drainage in, so it’s all happening both above the ground and below.
“And as the seasons turn, the 2025 planting season will see 164,000 plants go in the ground, adding to the 70,000 already in, so there’s heaps to look forward to.”
But don’t just take Mr Coalter or Mr Bishop’s word for how epic things are looking – check out the progress on this fly through video:
Following significant engagement over the last month, the first in-person round of negotiations towards a comprehensive India New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will take place in India this week.
This follows the highly successful visit to India last year by Deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters and the formal launch of negotiations by Minster for Trade and Investment, Todd McClay and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal during the Prime Minister’s large trade mission to New Delhi in April.
“This is an important step in our trade relationship with India and signals the two Governments’ intent to deliver a high quality outcome that benefits both countries,” Mr McClay says.
“With a population of 1.4 billion and a GDP estimated to grow to USD $5.2 trillion by 2030, India offers significant opportunity for New Zealand exporters,” Mr McClay says.
“Strengthening ties with India across the board is a key part of the Government’s broader strategy to diversify and grow New Zealand’s export markets and double trade by value in 10 years.
The early entry into force of the New Zealand–European Union Trade Agreement (FTA) is paying off, with Kiwi goods exports to the EU surging by 28 per cent during the first year.
“In the last 12 months our goods exports to the EU surged from $3.8 billion to over $4.8 billion,” Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay says.
“This is good news for all New Zealanders, especially our sheep farmers, kiwifruit growers and machinery exporters. Sheep meat was up 29 per cent adding an additional $216 million, kiwifruit has increased by 69 per cent contributing a further $316 million, and machinery was up an impressive 104 per cent providing $173 million more compared to the previous year.
“Strengthening ties with trading partners is crucial to growing the New Zealand economy and driving up incomes for Kiwis. Better market access, lower costs, and fewer trade barriers with the EU are key to delivering the Government’s ambitious goal of doubling the value of New Zealand’s exports in 10 years.”
The NZ-EU FTA removed 91 per cent of duties on New Zealand exports immediately, climbing to 97 per cent after seven years. Wine, seafood, and a range of other products are also benefiting from significant tariff reductions.
“Our growing network of trade agreements means exporters now have more choices about where to sell their world-class products,” Mr McClay says.
DOC says the incident is a reminder for people to check their gear for wildlife before setting off, to prevent spreading them into new places where they could impact the local ecosystem.
Kim Ranger and her partner Ian were parked at Berlins campsite in the Buller Gorge on the West Coast over Easter weekend. As they packed up their camping gear and put it in their two vehicles, the weka took advantage of an open door and climbed into their Ford Ranger ute hiding in dog blankets.
Kim says Ian drove their ute the whole way home, including making a couple of stops, without realising the weka was a passenger in his vehicle.
“He didn’t hear it, didn’t see it, nothing. He got home to Christchurch and hopped out and didn’t notice the weka,” Kim says.
“When I got home, I opened the back door of the Ranger to get something there it was in the rear passenger footwell.
“I couldn’t stop laughing and then I came the realisation, what on earth do you do with a weka in Christchurch?”
Kim says they called the afterhours vets, the SPCA and DOC who all said to wait until the next morning. The couple gave the weka food and water and left it in the ute.
“The weka didn’t show any signs of being distressed, when you opened the door he just stood on the centre console and pooped – though he did set off the car alarm at 7 in the morning. The inside of the ute was literally covered in weka poop.”
Kim says they called the weka ‘Ranger’ given its temporary home and her last name.
DOC staff picked up the weka took it to the South Island Wildlife Hospital for a thorough check over. It was in good health apart from being a little bit dehydrated, so it was given some fluids.
DOC Biodiversity supervisor Craig Alexander says it’s a reminder to people to check their vehicles for any wildlife when camping or in the outdoors.
“We were able to get it back over to the West Coast in a small carrier cage on a bus and it was released near the area it had hitched a ride from.
“There are no wild weka in Christchurch so we wouldn’t want to see them accidentally introduced here. It’s a good reminder for people to be mindful about unintentionally transporting animals in their equipment.
“In the last few months, we also had someone accidentally bring two wētā over from the West Coast in their wetsuits. They did the right thing by calling DOC and we were able to take them back over to the Coast for release.
“Our native species are unique but, in many places, they’re doing it tough because of things like introduced predators and habitat loss. We don’t want to accidentally introduce new species – even native ones – into places they don’t belong as they could have unexpected impacts on our ecosystems. Every person, business and community has a role in protecting and restoring nature.
“If you do find a native animal has snuck into some of your gear and hitched a ride somewhere it shouldn’t have, please contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) for advice on what to do next.”
Kim Ranger also echoes that message and is keen for people to know who to call if they have a surprise hitchhiker like she and Ian did.
In the meantime, she says it’s been a big job getting the ute clean.
“It was such a funny end to our camping trip. I’m just glad Ranger is back where he belongs.”
In the wake of a spate of fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, including the most recent at Abilities’ North Shore recycling plant, Auckland Council supports the ruling by the Auckland District Court in the matter of Auckland Council v Sims Metal Industries Limited, following a significant fire at the Sims Metal scrap metal yard in Favona in July 2023.
The incident, caused by the ignition of a lithium-ion battery within a large scrap metal stockpile released toxic smoke across parts of Auckland and highlighted a growing national and international issue surrounding battery disposal and fire risk.
Judge Smith, in his decision, recognised the unique challenges posed by lithium-ion batteries, noting there is currently no available technology capable of reliably identifying or detecting them within scrap material.
The judge described the situation as “a new and emerging issue,” which has led to fires not only in New Zealand but around the globe.
While acknowledging Sims Metal’s cooperation and the absence of any intentional wrongdoing, Judge Smith imposed a fine of $30,000, reduced from an initial starting point of $50,000, to reflect an early guilty plea, meaningful cooperation, and the agreement to enforcement orders.
Fire at the Sims Metal Scrapyard.
The enforcement orders issued require Sims Metal to implement several improvements at the James Fletcher Drive, Favona site.
These include the completion of a secondary access point to the site by May 2025, the development of a certified Fire Risk Management Plan and a Stockpile Management Plan. The orders are registered with the Environment Court and will remain in place unless superseded by conditions with a new resource consent.
Judge Smith noted, “There has been considerable difficulty in finding a technical solution to the problems with batteries catching on fire.
“This is not only a national problem but an international one; these orders form a workaround solution until more technical solutions, particularly for bulk disposal, are available.”
Auckland Council’s Field Operations Manager for Compliance, David Pawson, emphasised the importance of remaining vigilant despite the novelty of the issue.
“We recognise this is a new issue and we’re all finding our way with lithium-ion batteries and those handling them.
“But businesses still need to take responsibility for their disposal – this is their business. While we’re all working on solutions, consent conditions still need to be met.”
The council views this case as an important precedent in balancing empathy for emerging challenges with the necessity of regulatory compliance.
It also highlights the importance of proactive risk management and industry-wide collaboration to adapt to evolving environmental risks.
Union also seeks a commitment from the NZDF to retain civilian roles.
The PSA has welcomed the news from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) that $33 million will be allocated to staff pay increases over the next four years as the result of last year’s industrial action.
“We’re very pleased to see increased funding for civilian personnel salaries in yesterday’s NZDF announcement,” Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says.
“This decision is a response to civilian staff’s strike action last year.”
Non-uniformed NZDF staff, which includes engineers, IT specialists, and other support staff, undertook weeks of industrial action from September to November, culminating in a strike.
The settlement of the strike action contains a specific clause on the union working together with the NZDF on the $33 million of funding allocated from the Budget.
“The NZDF have already been in touch with the PSA to work through the allocation of this funding,” Fitzsimons says.
The NZDF’s 3000-plus civilian workforce is currently undergoing a change proposal process which seeks to cut 374 roles.
“While this is good news, the NZDF has already lost 144 highly skilled, diligent personnel through the voluntary redundancy process.
“To ensure the remaining workers aren’t overwhelmed with large workloads and can continue to deliver this essential mahi, we will be seeking a commitment that there will be no more job cuts.”
Nauru’s ambition to commercially mine the seabed is likely at risk following President Donald Trump’s executive order last month aimed at fast-tracking ocean mining, anti-deep sea mining advocates warn.
The order also increases instability in the Pacific region because it effectively circumvents long-standing international sea laws and processes by providing an alternative path to mine the seabed, advocates say.
Titled Unleashing America’s Offshore Critical Minerals and Resources, the order was signed by Trump on April 25. It directs the US science and environmental agency to expedite permits for companies to mine the ocean floor in US and international waters.
It has been condemned by legal and environmental experts around the world, particularly after Canadian mining group The Metals Company announced last Tuesday it had applied to commercially mine in international waters through the US process.
The Metals Company has so far been unsuccessful in gaining a commercial mining licence through the International Seabed Authority (ISA).
Currently, the largest area in international waters being explored for commercial deep sea mining is the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, located in the central Pacific Ocean. The vast area sits between Hawai’i, Kiribati and Mexico, and spans 4.5 million sq km.
The area is of high commercial interest because it has an abundance of polymetallic nodules that contain valuable metals like cobalt, nickel, manganese and copper, which are used to make products such as smartphones and electric batteries. The minerals are also used in weapons manufacturing.
Benefits ‘for humankind as a whole’ Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Clarion-Clipperton Zone falls under the jurisdiction of the ISA, which was established in 1994. That legislation states that any benefits from minerals extracted in its jurisdiction must be for “humankind as a whole”.
Nauru — alongside Tonga, Kiribati and the Cook Islands — has interests in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone after being allocated blocks of the area through UNCLOS. They are known as sponsor states.
In total, there are 19 sponsor states in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
Nauru is leading the charge for deep sea mining in international waters. Image: RNZ Pacific/Caleb Fotheringham
Nauru and The Metals Company Since 2011, Nauru has partnered with The Metals Company to explore and assess its block in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone for commercial mining activity.
It has done this through an ISA exploration licence.
At the same time, the ISA, which counts all Pacific nations among its 169-strong membership, has also been developing a commercial mining code. That process began in 2014 and is ongoing.
The process has been criticised by The Metals Company as effectively blocking it and Nauru’s commercial mining interests.
Both have sought to advance their respective interests in different ways.
In 2021, Nauru took the unprecedented step of utilising a “two-year” notification period to initiate an exploitation licencing process under the ISA, even though a commercial seabed mining code was still being developed.
An ISA commercial mining code, once finalised, is expected to provide the legal and technical regulations for exploitation of the seabed.
In the absence of a code However, according to international law, in the absence of a code, should a plan for exploitation be submitted to the ISA, the body is required to provisionally accept it within two years of its submission.
While Nauru ultimately delayed enforcing the two-year rule, it remains the only state to ever invoke it under the ISA. It has also stated that it is “comfortable with being a leader on these issues”.
To date, the ISA has not issued a licence for exploitation of the seabed.
Meanwhile, The Metals Company has emphasised the economic potential of deep sea mining and its readiness to begin commercial activities. It has also highlighted the potential value of minerals sitting on the seabed in Nauru’s block in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
“[The block represents] 22 percent of The Metals Company’s estimated resource in the [Clarion-Clipperton Zone and] . . . is ranked as having the largest underdeveloped nickel deposit in the world,” the company states on its website.
Its announcement on Tuesday revealed it had filed three applications for mining activity in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone under the US pathway. One application is for a commercial mining permit. Two are for exploration permits.
The announcement added further fuel to warnings from anti-deep sea mining advocates that The Metals Company is pivoting away from Nauru and arrangements under the ISA.
Last year, the company stated it intended to submit a plan for commercial mining to the ISA on June 27 so it could begin exploitation operations by 2026.
This date appears to have been usurped by developments under Trump, with the company saying on Tuesday that its US permit application “advances [the company’s] timeline ahead” of that date.
The Trump factor Trump’s recent executive order is critical to this because it specifically directs relevant US government agencies to reactivate the country’s own deep sea mining licence process that had largely been unused over the past 40 years.
President Donald Trump signs a proclamation in the Oval Office at the White House last month expanding fishing rights in the Pacific Islands to an area he described as three times the size of California. Image: RNZ screenshot APR
That legislation, the Deep Sea Hard Mineral Resources Act, states the US can grant mining permits in international waters. It was implemented in 1980 as a temporary framework while the US worked towards ratifying the UNCLOS Treaty. Since then, only four exploration licences have been issued under the legislation.
To date, the US is yet to ratify UNCLOS.
At face value, the Deep Sea Hard Mineral Resources Act offers an alternative licensing route to commercial seabed activity in the high seas to the ISA. However, any cross-over between jurisdictions and authorities remains untested.
Now, The Metals Company appears to be operating under both in the same area of international waters — the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
Deep Sea Conservation Coalition’s Pacific regional coordinator Phil McCabe said it was unclear what would happen to Nauru.
“This announcement really appears to put Nauru as a partner of the company out in the cold,” McCabe said.
No Pacific benefit mechanism “If The Metals Company moves through the US process, it appears that there is no mechanism or no need for any benefit to go to the Pacific Island sponsoring states because they sponsor through the ISA, not the US,” he said.
McCabe, who is based in Aotearoa New Zealand, highlighted extensive investment The Metals Company had poured into the Nauru block over more than 10 years.
He said it was in the company’s financial interests to begin commercial mining as soon as possible.
“If The Metals Company was going to submit an application through the US law, it would have to have a good measure of environmental data on the area that it wants to mine, and the only area that it has that data [for] is the Nauru block,” McCabe said.
He also pointed out that the size of the Nauru block The Metals Company had worked on in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone was the same as a block it wanted to commercially mine through US legislation.
Both are exactly 25,160 sq km, McCabe said.
RNZ Pacific asked The Metals Company to clarify whether its US application applied to Nauru and Tonga’s blocks. The company said it would “be able to confirm details of the blocks in the coming weeks”.
It also said it intended to retain its exploration contracts through the ISA that were sponsored by Nauru and Tonga, respectively.
Cook Islands nodule field – photo taken within Cook Islands EEZ. Image: Cook Islands Seabed Minerals Authority
Pacific Ocean a ‘new frontier’ Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) associate Maureen Penjueli had similar observations to McCabe regarding the potential impacts of Trump’s executive order.
Trump’s order, and The Metals Company ongoing insistence to commercially mine the ocean, was directly related to escalating geopolitical competition, she told RNZ Pacific.
“There are a handful of minerals that are quite critical for all kinds of weapons development, from tankers to armour like nuclear weapons, submarines, aircraft,” she said.
Currently, the supply and processing of minerals in that market, which includes iron, lithium, copper, cobalt and graphite, is dominated by China.
Between 40 and 90 percent of the world’s rare earth minerals are processed by China, Penjueli said. The variation is due to differences between individual minerals.
As a result, both Europe and the US are heavily dependent on China for these minerals, which according to Penjueli, has massive implications.
“On land, you will see the US Department of Defense really trying to seek alternative [mineral] sources,” Penjueli said.
“Now, it’s extended to minerals in the seabed, both within [a country’s exclusive economic zone], but also in areas beyond national jurisdictions, such as the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which is here in the Pacific. That is around the geopolitical [competition] . . . and the US versus China positioning.”
Notably, Trump’s executive order on the US seabed mining licence process highlights the country’s reliance on overseas mineral supply, particularly regarding security and defence implications.
He said the US wanted to advance its leadership in seabed mineral development by “strengthening partnerships with allies and industry to counter China’s growing influence over seabed mineral resources”.
The Metals Company and the US She believed The Metals Company had become increasingly focused on security and defence needs.
Initially, the company had framed commercial deep sea mining as essential for the world’s transition to green energies, she said. It had used that language when referring to its relationships with Pacific states like Nauru, Penjueli said.
However, the company had also begun pitching US policy makers under the Biden administration over the need to acquire critical minerals from the seabed to meet US security and defence needs, she said.
Since Trump’s re-election, it had also made a series of public announcements praising US government decisions that prioritised deep sea mining development for defence and security purposes.
In a press release on Trump’s executive order, The Metals Company chief executive Gerard Barron said the company had enough knowledge to manage the environmental risks of deep sea mining.
“Over the last decade, we’ve invested over half a billion dollars to understand and responsibly develop the nodule resource in our contract areas,” Barron said.
“We built the world’s largest environmental dataset on the [Clarion-Clipperton Zone], carefully designed and tested an off-shore collection system that minimises the environmental impacts and followed every step required by the International Seabed Authority.
“What we need is a regulator with a robust regulatory regime, and who is willing to give our application a fair hearing. That’s why we’ve formally initiated the process of applying for licenses and permits under the existing US seabed mining code,” Barron said.
ISA influenced by opposition faction The Metals Company directed RNZ Pacific to a statement on its website in response to an interview request.
The statement, signed by Barron, said the ISA was being influenced by a faction of states aligned with environmental NGOs that opposed the deep sea mining industry.
Barron also disputed any contraventions of international law under the US regime, and said the country has had “a fully developed regulatory regime” for commercial seabed mining since 1989.
“The ISA has neither the mining code nor the willingness to engage with their commercial contractors,” Barron said. “In full compliance with international law, we are committed to delivering benefits to our developing state partners.”
President Trump’s executive order marks America’s return to “leadership in this exciting industry”, claims The Metals Company. Note the name “Gulf of America” on this map was introduced by President Trump in a controversial move, but the rest of the world regards it as the Gulf of Mexico, as recognised by officially recognised by the International Hydrographic Organisation. Image: Facebook/The Metals Company
‘It’s an America-first move’ Despite Barron’s observations, Penjueli and McCabe believed The Metals Company and the US were side-stepping international law, placing Pacific nations at risk.
McCabe said Pacific nations benefitted from UNCLOS, which gives rights over vast oceanic territories.
“It’s an America-first move,” said McCabe who believes the actions of The Minerals Company and the US are also a contravention of international law.
There are also significant concerns that Trump’s executive order has effectively triggered a race to mine the Pacific seabed for minerals that will be destined for military purposes like weapons systems manufacturing, Penjueli said.
Unlike UNCLOS, the US deep sea mining legislation does not stipulate that minerals from international waters must be used for peaceful purposes.
Deep Sea Conservation Coalition’s Duncan Currie believes this is another tricky legal point for Nauru and other sponsor states in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone.
Potentially contravene international law For example, should Nauru enter a commercial mining arrangement with The Metals Company and the US under US mining legislation, any royalties that may eventuate could potentially contravene international law, Currie said.
First, the process would be outside the ISA framework, he said.
Second, UNCLOS states that any benefits from seabed mining in international waters must benefit all of “humankind”.
Therefore, Currie said, royalties earned in a process that cannot be scrutinised by the ISA likely did not meet that stipulation.
Third, he said, if the extracted minerals were used for military purposes — which was a focus of Trump’s executive order — then it likely violates the principle that the seabed should only be exploited for peaceful purposes.
“There really are a host of very difficult legal issues that arise,” he added.
The Metals Company says ISA is being influenced by a faction of states aligned with environmental NGOs that oppose the deep sea mining industry. Image: Facebook/The Metals Company/RNZ
The road ahead Now more than ever, anti-deep sea mining advocates believe a moratorium on the practice is necessary.
Penjueli, echoing Currie’s concerns, said there was too much uncertainty with two potential avenues to commercial mining.
“The moratorium call is quite urgent at this point,” she said.
“We simply don’t know what [these developments] mean right now. What are the implications if The Metals Company decides to dump its Pacific state sponsored partners? What does it mean for the legal tenements that they hold in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone?”
In that instance, Nauru, which has spearheaded the push for commercial seabed mining alongside The Metals Company, may be particularly exposed.
Currently, more than 30 countries have declared support for a moratorium on deep sea mining. Among them are Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, New Caledonia, Palau, Samoa, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, and Tuvalu.
On the other hand, Nauru, Kiribati, Tonga, and the Cook Islands all support deep sea mining.
Australia has not explicitly called for a moratorium on the practice, but it has also refrained from supporting it.
New Zealand supported a moratorium on deep sea mining under the previous Labour government. The current government is reportedly reconsidering this stance.
RNZ Pacific contacted the Nauru government for comment but did not receive a response.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
Majority Support For Bill Defining ‘Woman’ & ‘Man’ – ONLY 29% OPPOSITION TO THE BILL
A new poll has found majority support for a Member’s Bill that would ensure the biological definition of a woman and man are defined in law according to biology, with two in three voters of the coalition government parties in support.
The Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill will provide clarity and consistency in New Zealand law by defining “woman” as “an adult human biological female” and “man” as “an adult human biological male” in the Legislation Act 2019, and was introduced by NZ First.
In the independent polling commissioned by Family First NZ and carried out by Curia Market Research, 1,000 respondents were asked “A Member of Parliament has proposed a law that would define a woman as an adult human biological female and a man as an adult human biological male regardless of gender identity. Would you support or oppose this proposed law?”
52% of respondents said they support the proposed law and only 29% oppose it. (A further 19% were unsure).
Women net support was +4% with a further 27% unsure, but men were strongly in favour with net support +42%.
Net support by age is +19% for under 40s, +22% for 40-59 year olds, and +26% for over 60s.
In terms of party vote, ACT voters were most supportive (72%) followed by NZ First (68%) and National (64%). Undecided voters were 54% in favour.
Labour were 35% for and 44% against, Greens -15% net support and TPM -13%.
The nationwide poll was carried out between 30 April and 4 May and has a margin of error of +/- 3.1%.
Family First’s Bob McCoskrie says:
“Given the recent decision by the UK Supreme Court, it’s time that NZ’s Government also removes the confusion and returns to simple biological reality. Family First is calling on both the National Party and the ACT Party to fast-track NZ First’s Member’s Bill and adopt it as a Government bill. It’s clearly supported by 2/3’rds or more of your voters. Contrary to media and left wing commentary, this is not a negative “populist” proposal. This is a very popular proposal!”
Te Pāti Māori warns that the Government’s Treaty Clause Review represents the most severe erosion of iwi rights in modern legal history.
“Luxon’s Government is doing what the Treaty Principles Bill failed to do. They are removing every legal reference to Te Tiriti across health, housing, conservation, and child wellbeing laws, clause by clause” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
The Treaty clause review impacts 28 laws, including the Conservation Act, RMA, Oranga Tamariki Act, Climate Change Response Act, and the Pae Ora Act. Key protections for Māori health equity, kaitiakitanga, and tino rangatiratanga are being systematically erased.
“This is constitutional vandalism” said Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi. “The Government is deleting our rights from legislation, with no consultation, no mandate, no Treaty partner process.”
Te Pāti Māori is calling on all iwi, hapori Māori, legal advocates, community defenders, whānau, and Tangata Tiriti to prepare a unified response.
“They may be erasing words from legislation, but we will not let them erase our rights,” concluded Ngarewa-Packer.
Tax reform advocacy group Tax Justice Aotearoa is calling on the Government and opposition parties to remedy the failures in our taxation system illustrated by a new report from the Centre of International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research, which looks at transparency and corporate tax issues in the heavily public-funded aged care sector.
“Instead of talking about the possibility of reducing our corporate tax rate of 28 per cent, the Government should be finding ways to increase financial transparency, and ensuring that multinational corporates pay their fair share of current corporate tax by reviewing the thin capitalisation rules,” says Glenn Barclay, Chairperson of Tax Justice Aotearoa.
“This is particularly urgent where public funds are paid to multinational corporations delivering services on behalf of the government.”
The report focuses on the transparency of public funding in the aged residential care sector, and shows how our tax system allows multi-national providers to avoid paying the taxes that the public would expect them to pay, demonstrating this through the example of UK-owned BUPA.
BUPA had an average effective corporate tax rate over the past decade of only 4 per cent, much lower than the headline rate of 28 per cent, driven largely by tax-free capital gains.
In addition, the company appears to have used inter-company interest payments on a substantial loan to an Australian-incorporated BUPA company, which may have reduced taxable income by around $151m over the decade, trimming tax revenue by as much as $27 million over that period.
“This ability of multi-nationals to set up loans between subsidiary companies in different countries and then claim tax deductibility on the interest from those loans is a major issue,” says Glenn Barclay.
“While entirely legal, this ‘thin capitalisation’ is an approach that most members of the public would find questionable. It also gives multi-national players an advantage over wholly New Zealand-owned companies in competitive markets.”
“New Zealand does have thin capitalisation rules that are supposed to prevent this kind of activity, but this example shows that they are simply not strong enough,” says Glenn Barclay.
“We note that Australia and the UK have introduced a ‘fixed ratio’ test for interest payments on related party debt which limits allowable interest deductions in any one year to 30 per cent of gross earnings and this is the kind of measure that we should also seriously consider.”
“On a related matter, we note that IRD is looking at relaxing the existing thin capitalisation rules for infrastructure projects as part of its work programme agreement with the Minister of Revenue.
This could well be in the Budget and would be a big step in the wrong direction,” says Glenn Barclay. “We urge the Government not to go down this route, but instead look at tightening this provision across the economy.”
The report questions the tax exemptions in the sector for capital gains arising from revaluations of assets, which is significant given the amount of real estate that companies in the sector own.
“It seems that aged residential care providers are intentionally using the capital gains they make from selling both rights to occupy properties to new residents, and sometimes the properties themselves, as part of their income streams,” says Glenn Barclay.
“If this is true, then the current law, which says that capital gains on sales made intentionally for that purpose are taxable, should be enforced. If, for some reason, it is not enforceable, then the law should be clarified. A comprehensive tax on capital gains would resolve these issues in a much clearer way.”
The report also raises questions about the level of funding for the aged care sector and the extent to which unaccountable multi-national and other private providers should be involved in service delivery.
“The report indirectly supports the need for more funding for aged care generally as the population ages and this is yet another example of a demand for services that only a more progressive tax system that properly taxes wealth can address,” says Glenn Barclay.
Now is the time for Kiwis to give New Zealand Sign Language a go as we take a week to celebrate the language, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston says.
This week is New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) week. The theme is that “anyone can sign anywhere”.
“NZSL is an official language of this country, used by almost 25,000 people and the primary language for many Deaf New Zealanders.
“The Government, through the NZSL Board, invests $1.25 million each year to support initiatives promoting and maintaining NZSL. Included in that investment is the NZSL dictionarywhich is a great resource for learning new words,” Louise Upston says.
“This Government is committed to better public services, delivering services and support that meet the needs of the Deaf community.
“The NZSL Board is now consulting on a draft NZSL strategy which will drive its work for the next five years and I am encouraging all New Zealanders with an interest to submit on the strategy and have their say.
“I encourage New Zealanders to learn some everyday signs this week, such as ‘good morning’ or ‘good evening’ or ‘thank you’.”
There are resources and activities on the New Zealand Sign Weekwebsite to inspire everyone to learn the language.
Sunday 4 May 2025 – The government has announced an additional $1 billion of military spending today on top of $12 billion of spending already announced over the next four years. These plans will take New Zealand’s annual military budget to approximately 2% of GDP.
“The budget will have the most severe cuts in decades, and yet there are billions to wage war with the United States. This is absolutely the wrong priority, and frankly I find it sickening,” said Valerie Morse, member of Peace Action Wellington.
“Clearly the money is there. It is a matter of priorities. Most New Zealanders would say their priority is a health system that is there for them if they get sick. Right now, that doesn’t exist.”
“Health NZ has just announced 1800 further job cuts. Our doctors, nurses and health care assistants are on strike demanding safe conditions in our hospitals. More than 180,000 people are waiting for their first specialist appointment, with 40% of these waiting more than 4 months. Our people are dying now. These are the real threats to life and security in this country.”
“Where is the multi-billion dollar funding to rebuild our health system? Where is the commitment to investing in broken health infrastructure and an adequate workforce? Instead what we see is a government intent on destroying the public health system, dismantling it to the point it does not function.”
“We firmly reject the entire basis of this $12 billion military spend-up. We keep getting told that the global situation is dangerous and that there are “rising tensions.” This is the US framing their agenda as our problem. It isn’t our problem. Instead, for a healthy and prosperous country, we must steer very clear of being involved with the US military and its murderous imperial adventures.”
“The US is scaremongering about China. It is in the US’s interest to pick a fight with China, to surround it and threaten it. This has absolutely nothing to do with New Zealand’s own defence and security.”