Thousands take to Nouméa streets ahead of French Parliament debate on New Caledonia

April 2, 2026

By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

Thousands took to the streets of the capital Nouméa on Tuesday — hours ahead of a scheduled French Parliament debate in the National Assembly in Paris to discuss the French Pacific territory’s political future.

An estimated 2500 came in support of local Association Un Coeur, une Voix (UCUV–One Heart, One Voice) to oppose the prospect of the next local elections (to elect New Caledonia’s three provinces) being held under the current “frozen” electoral roll, which excludes people who have not resided in New Caledonia before 1998 or their direct descendents.

During a one-hour peaceful march in downtown Nouméa, the participants were brandishing tricolour blue-white-red flags and other placards denouncing what they described as “second-class citizens” treatment and their perceived condition of self-styled “victims of history”.

The march was designed to send a clear message to French MPs ahead of debates on New Caledonia later this week.

“I’m sorry for using harsh words, but it’s like we’re being robbed [of our rights],” UCUV president Raphaël Romano told local Radio Rythme Bleu.

“And now we have those MPs who are going to decide for us. They’re going to use New Caledonia for their own national political gains . . . and make a mess”.

“If [MPs] can’t find an agreement, then they should let New Caledonians choose.

“It’s a shame for democracy, it happens nowhere else in the world”, Romano told local media.

His movement is strongly supported by several prominent pro-France parties, including Le Rassemblement and Les Loyalistes.

He said the situation affected all ethnic communities in New Caledonia.

“Those who can’t vote are men and women from all walks of life, all ethnic groups who live together in peace, every day,” he said.

“It’s hard enough to try and recover from the May 2024 riots, where people have lost their businesses and their job.”

The 2024 riots caused 14 deaths and more than 2 billion euros (almost NZ$4 billion) in material damage.

They were also initially triggered by peaceful protests against a plan to have the French constitution modified, especially regarding the electoral restrictions.

The protests turned violent and out of control in Nouméa on the very day debates started in Paris.

The “freeze” was enforced in 2009, as part of the Nouméa Accord, signed in 1998.

Originally designed as a temporary measure, the restriction currently excludes up to 40,000 people, many of them born in New Caledonia.

Christian Téin, president of the Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS) . . . opposed to the draft Bougival-Élysée-Oudinot (BEO) pact. Image: LNC

‘Counter demonstrations’
Meanwhile, pro-independence movements have called for other “counter-demonstrations” outside of Nouméa.

One gathering took place on Tuesday, including in the outer Loyalty Islands of Lifou, while another demonstration is scheduled on Wednesday, in Koné (North of the main island, Grande Terre).

The voting restriction measure was originally included in the 1998 Nouméa Accord as a measure to prevent any erosion of New Caledonia’s indigenous Kanak population’s voice.

The proposed text derives from talks held between New Caledonia political stakeholders and the French government.

This was on two occasions: in the small city of Bougival in July 2025 and later in January 2026 in Paris, at the French Presidential Élysée Palace and the French Ministry of Overseas Territories, Rue Oudinot.

Hence the name of Bougival-Élysée-Oudinot (BEO) for a text and an expanded project.

But the BEO text, in August 2025, was unequivocally opposed by the FLNKS (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front), the main component of the pro-independence movement.

Other participating parties — pro-France and pro-independence (two pro-independence members of FLNKS have since split to create their own “UNI” [Union Nationale pour l’Indépendance]) — have since maintained their commitment to the BEO process, including their legislative adaptation (in the form of a Constitutional Amendment and an “organic Law, which would de facto become New Caledonia’s constitution).

The project also envisions the creation of a “State of New Caledonia”, with a correlated “New Caledonia nationality” available to people who are already French citizens.

The FLNKS later explained it saw these, as well as a planned process of transfer of more powers from Paris to Nouméa, as just a “lure” of independence.

Reacting to the UCUV march, FLNKS said the “freeze” was ruled constitutional by France’s Constitutional Council in September 2025 and could only be changed if a “consensual” agreement was found.

But FLNKS considers the BEO-derived text “is not a logical continuation of the Nouméa Accord”.

The BEO-derived Bill, if adopted, could eventually replace the Nouméa Accord.

But it is now still undergoing legislative process.

The French Senate endorsed it on February 24, with a comfortable right-wing majority.

But this week, the same text is to be debated in the Lower House of Parliament, the National Assembly, which has been divided since the July 2024 French national snap election following President Macron’s decision to dissolve Parliament.

Current predictions are that since there is no clear majority within the Lower House, the Bill, which comes in the form of a Constitutional Amendment (with the capacity to replace the Nouméa Accord) is likely to be rejected.

The opposition to the current right-wing group comes from the left (far-left La France Insoumise -LFI-, the Socialists (who say the Bill is “heavy with threats and dangers”), the Communists, the Greens) and Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National (RN).

Last week, the Constitutional Bill came before the National Assembly’s Law Committee and suffered an initial rejection.

Parliamentary debates in the National Assembly are scheduled to begin on Wednesday (1 April 2026, Paris time) and could last for the next three days.

‘Barrage’ of three thousand amendments
Some opposition parties, especially the democratic and republican left (GDR, Gauche démocrate et républicaine, to which the pro-independence New Caledonian Kanak MP Emmanuel Tjibaou belongs) have already filed on the agenda a “prior rejection motion” to withdraw the Bill.

Some of those expressed strong reservations because the process and ensuing Bill was opposed by FLNKS and that, therefore, there was no unanimity.

Meanwhile, since last week, in a previously used barrage tactic, LFI has also filed over 3000 amendments.

Restrictions still apply under Nouméa Accord — French Constitutional Council
UCUV has been fighting for years to defend their rights, in front of what they term a “denial of democracy”.

Last year, they took their case to the French Constitutional Council, which ruled that in the present situation, the electoral roll “freeze” for local elections was part of the Nouméa Accord which was part of the French Constitution.

UCUV president Raphaël Romano said they now have no other option but to take their case before the European Court of Human Rights, even though they admit their hopes are “very weak”.

He said the deadline was 4 April 2026.

If the Constitutional Bill is rejected by Parliament, a new proposed calendar for implementation will automatically become obsolete.

And local provincial elections that have already been delayed three times since May 2024 will have to be held not later than 28 June 2026, instead of the proposed December this year.

If the BEO-derived text is rejected, then the Nouméa Accord applies again and the planned provincial elections will have to be held under the restricted — “frozen” — electoral roll system.

“The provincial elections will not be held under a frozen electoral roll. It’s just not possible”, Romano said.

Deadlock, imbroglio: what now?
Other possible alternative scenarios could include re-submitting a new, revised Bill, dedicated to the electoral roll, or organising a “consultation”, a de facto referendum with eligible New Caledonians.

Under the French parliamentary principle of the “shuttle”, the text could be sent back to the Senate.

Under the BEO text, people eligible for voting at local provincial elections can either be born in New Caledonia or having resided there for an uninterrupted 15 years (for the first five years of enforcement, then the minimum residence period would be reduced to 10 uninterrupted years).

From the French government’s point of view, an agreement on New Caledonia’s institutional future is the only solution to bring back stability and economic “visibility” for local and foreign investors.

“Everything is on the table to get things moving”, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu told French media last week.

Overseas Minister Naïma Moutchou is still advocating for the benefits a parliamentary approval would bring to New Caledonia in terms of a “framework” for economic recovery.

France has earmarked some 2 billion euros in a “refoundation” pact, structured to put the economy, social services and the crucial nickel mining industry back on track, provided necessary reforms are carried out.

“Let’s give a chance to this process, because in New Caledonia, the alternative to an open political process is never quiet: it’s uncertainty and, over there, it always ends up weakening civil peace,” she told Parliament last week.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Albanese to announce interest-free loans for businesses hit by fuel crisis

By The Conversation -

April 2, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday will announce interest-free loans for businesses hit by the fuel crisis, in a speech also promising the crisis won’t divert the government from economic reform in the budget.

The loans will help truckies, freight companies and fuel and fertiliser producers. This comes after cuts in excise and the Heavy Vehicle Road User Charge and moves to assist small business were also announced this week.

Albanese, addressing the National Press Club in a speech released in part ahead of delivery, will say the May 12 budget will be “our government’s most important budget to date and it will be our most ambitious. It has to be.”

His message will go some way to reassuring those who fear the prime minister might want to scale back reform ambitions of treasurer Jim Chalmers for the budget, given the crisis and accommpanying uncertainty.

But Albanese says: “economic reform that drives growth, boosts productivity, tackles inflation and lifts living standards is always necessary.

“And in times of uncertainty such as this, it is urgent.”

The Labor government was investing in economic resilience well before this crisis, he says.

“For our government, international uncertainty is not an excuse to delay, or hold back reform – it is the reason we must press ahead.

“Because we will not generate the same prosperity or create the same opportunities, if we continue to rely on an economic model designed in a different time and built for a more predictable world.

“Nor can we go back to those days.”

“Anyone who pretends that the solution to housing or jobs or wages or health is to somehow to recreate the 1950s or 60s, or whatever time they imagine everything was hunky dory, is simply not being fair dinkum.

“Australia will not find our future security in the past. Or by copying approaches from overseas.

“We have to invest in it, build it and create it for ourselves.”

Albanese says while planning for a more resilient Australia, “our number one priority remains helping people with the cost of living”. That balance would be struck in the budget.

The interest-free loans will be provided under the government’s $1 billion Economic Resilience Program.

“No government can promise to eliminate the pressures this crisis will impose. But we can be a buffer against the worst of it,” Albanese says.

“Providing this stability and security amidst uncertainty does not mean standing still while the world changes around us.

“It means anticipating and creating change, true to Australian values and in Australia’s interests.

“Because if people feel like the economy is not working for them, if they’re putting in the effort but not seeing the reward, if planning for the future feels like a luxury, then government cannot provide stability, just by keeping things as they are.”

– ref. Albanese to announce interest-free loans for businesses hit by fuel crisis – https://theconversation.com/albanese-to-announce-interest-free-loans-for-businesses-hit-by-fuel-crisis-278793

The supermarket trip that led to Fonterra admitting its ‘100% New Zealand Grass Fed’ claim is misleading and deceptive

By Asia Pacific Report -

April 2, 2026

By Russel Norman

One day in October 2023 I was walking down the supermarket aisle when I saw greenwashing in plain sight.

Fonterra’s Anchor butter was sitting in the chiller with a prominent claim on the packaging that it was Grass Fed.

I knew that Fonterra cows were fed on millions of tonnes of palm kernel. So I decided to do something about it. And today we finally won that battle.

Today, after Greenpeace sued Fonterra under the Fair Trading Act, Fonterra has published a statement admitting its “100% New Zealand Grass Fed” claim breached section 9 of the Act.

Section 9 makes it illegal to “engage in conduct that is misleading or deceptive or is likely to mislead or deceive.” Fonterra has undertaken to not use this label again.

Thus Fonterra, New Zealand’s largest company, a multinational with $26 billion a year in turnover, was today forced to admit it has been deceiving its customers about a key claim it makes about its products — “100% New Zealand Grass Fed”.

Fonterra’s deception
While Fonterra was telling its customers that its Anchor brand butter was “100% New Zealand Grass Fed”, they were telling their milk suppliers that they could feed their dairy cows up to 3kg of palm kernel every day.

That works out at around 20 percent of all the food that a dairy cow eats. In practice dairy producers are probably on average providing about 6 percent to 8 percent of a New Zealand dairy cow’s diet from palm kernel, though it could be up to 20 percent in individual cases.

Palm kernel is one of the products of the palm industry in Malaysia and Indonesia — yes, the same palm industry that is destroying the last of the Southeast Asian tropical rainforests.

A million tonne deception
So on the one hand Fonterra was telling New Zealanders that they should buy Fonterra products because they are natural, 100 percent from New Zealand grass, while at the same time it was giving the green light to its milk suppliers to feed dairy cattle palm kernel from offshore.

And not just a little bit, I mean millions of tonnes of palm kernel.

In fact, Fonterra’s milk suppliers are using so much palm kernel that New Zealand is the world’s largest importer of palm kernel, at around two million tonnes per year, most of which is fed to dairy cattle.

During the period when Fonterra used the “100% New Zealand Grass Fed” label (they state from December 2023 to April 2025), New Zealand imported around three million tonnes of palm kernel, at a cost of around $800 million. Of this, around two and a quarter million tonnes went to Fonterra suppliers.

So not only was Fonterra deceiving their customers that their butter was “100% New Zealand Grass Fed”, but they were doing it on a massive scale.

It looked like a huge lie in plain sight by New Zealand’s largest company. Someone had to do something.

Off to the Commerce Commission
So standing in the chiller aisle of the supermarket I had an idea — I should complain to the Commerce Commission, as it was a breach of the Fair Trading Act. It was deceptive and misleading advertising.

The Commerce Commission is responsible for the Fair Trading Act so surely they would care that New Zealand’s largest company was misleading millions of New Zealanders about a key claim of their products.

So I sent off my complaint in November 2023, received an automated acknowledgement, and then I waited. And waited.

Finally in June 2024 I chased them up and in July 2024 managed to get a zoom meeting with the relevant Commission investigator. The investigator explained that they had done some kind of investigation and had connected with Fonterra but they were planning to take zero enforcement action. Nothing.

So eight months after my original complaint, with zero effort by the Commerce Commission to contact me, I discovered they planned to do nothing about it.

I was pretty annoyed so I decided to make an Official Information Act (OIA) request to the Commerce Commission to find out what they had done.

Commission wrote Fonterra a letter, Fonterra carried on
And this is where it starts to get pretty interesting. The OIA showed that Commerce Commission investigators had actually done some investigating. Moreover, they had concluded that the label was likely to mislead consumers.

The Commerce Commission wrote to Fonterra in March 2024 stating that the label “may lead consumers to form an overall impression that the cow’s diet comprises of [sic] 100% grass… A reasonable consumer… may not … be aware that up to 8% of a cow’s diet may consist of supplemental non-grass feed… the use of PKE may not be clear to a reasonable consumer.”

If the Commerce Commission found the label was misleading, hence in breach of the Fair Trading Act, what would they do?

The Commission letter to Fonterra stated that “we do not intend to further investigate the complaint made against you at this time”.

So… the Commission wrote them the letter, and nothing else.

Fonterra received the Commerce Commission letter in March 2024 giving the commission’s opinion that the label was likely to be misleading but stating that the commission would take no further action.

And what did Fonterra do? Fonterra just kept using the label.

Greenpeace takes legal action against Fonterra
In late September 2024, we had had enough of the greenwashing by Fonterra and the failure of the Commerce Commission to take action and we initiated legal action ourselves.

Aside from the deceptive advertising issue, Greenpeace has campaigned on palm kernel for years. Palm kernel is driving tropical rainforest destruction in Southeast Asia as well as providing the feed for intensive dairy agribusiness in New Zealand, which is polluting fresh water and producing climate emissions.

We want the dairy industry to cut out palm kernel, and we want New Zealand consumers to know that Fonterra’s dairy products are driving rainforest destruction.

We sued them under the Fair Trading Act, doing the work that the Commerce Commission had failed to do.

This is no small matter for a New Zealand NGO to take on a $26 billion a year multinational corporation. Fonterra employed the law firm Chapman Tripp against us, the biggest law firm in the country.

If we were to lose the case and have costs awarded against us, it could have been disastrous, as both sides knew.

Fonterra stops using the deceptive label
And guess what? In April 2025, six months after we lodged our legal action, Fonterra quietly stopped using the deceptive and misleading “100% New Zealand Grass Fed” label.

And then finally in March 2026, as the court hearing date approached, Fonterra agreed to an out of court settlement in which they admitted they had breached section 9 of the Fair Trading Act by engaging in deceptive and misleading advertising. And they agreed not to use the label again.

We finally made Fonterra admit that they were using tonnes of palm kernel and that their milk is most certainly not 100 percent New Zealand Grass Fed.

Fonterra has a choice about how its milk is produced. It chooses to accept milk produced with palm kernel, chooses to accept destroying rainforests, killing orangutans and birds of paradise.

Multinational corporations are just machines for making money – we need to regulate them
Fonterra deliberately chose to use that misleading label back in December 2023. Presumably they did this to sell more of their products, to maximise profits.

Fonterra chose to keep using the label even after the Commerce Commission told them they thought it was likely to mislead consumers. It was only when Greenpeace took legal action against them that they were forced to change.

Fonterra spouts a lot of nonsense about how it cares for the environment or New Zealanders or whatever. But they are just a machine for making money for their shareholders. The practical benefit of all the corporate talk about “caring” is to avoid proper government regulation.

If we want to align the activities of multinational corporations with society’s values then we have to regulate them, as they will not do it themselves. By design, large corporations do not have “values”. They are just machines for making money, and whether they make money by destroying nature, or not, only depends on the laws under which they operate and whether those laws are enforced.

The Commerce Commission let the biggest corporation in the country get away with deceiving consumers – a deception that was millions of tonnes in size and repeated weekly to every New Zealander who walked down a supermarket aisle. And so that corporation just carried on doing it.

Greenpeace stood up and we won. But it shouldn’t have been up to us.

The role of the government is to act in our collective interest by regulating corporations, not only to make sure they don’t deceive consumers, but to protect a stable climate, to protect the biodiversity of our planet, and indeed to protect life on Earth.

Dr Russel Norman is executive director of Greenpeace Aotearoa. Republished from Greenpeace Aotearoa with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Artists, small businesses embrace TikTok livestreams

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Kiwis are turning to livestreaming for income and promotion. Screenshot / TikTok

It’s 9am on a Thursday as the rain hammers rooftops and a strong wind shakes down leaves.

Inside, Tasha Langi is busily preparing an order and chatting away with an audience of 64 on her phone screen.

“Do you still work with BBM? We don’t work with them, but we always see them,” she answered a question from one viewer.

“Nice and easy this morning. My baby wanted me to just sit with him last night, so I had to start the bulk orders a little bit later than usual,” she said as she gave the viewers a glimpse into her life.

Tasha is among a growing group of Kiwis who are turning to TikTok livestreams to promote their businesses.

According to TikTok, two million people watch livestreams across Australia and New Zealand, but exactly how many Kiwis are broadcasting their lives live remains unclear.

Tasha and her husband, James run a protein dessert company, Fit Prepp, from Manurewa.

James said they were social media savvy, but livestreaming was a new territory.

James and Tasha Langi, who runs Fitt Prep, has been livestreaming their business routine to engage with the community. James Langi / Supplied

“We’ve only done live streaming for two weeks now and we’re still learning, but we enjoy it. When you’re putting your face and who you are behind (the business) it builds another relationship. It builds something better.”

They started going live after customers suggested it, and it’s already paying off with new orders and memorable interactions.

Tasha said recently, a customer and her father visited them after watching their content.

“She came down with her dad and got our tubs and that was really nice. She said her and her dad had been watching us for months and months. He’s been cheering us on from afar. And then she sent me a heartfelt email because she just felt like we were a part of her family in the way we just brought her into our home and expressed our gratitude.”

Palmerston North-based artist Emilie Geant who livestreams her art making process has a theory why livestreaming is different from other social media promotions.

James and Tasha Langi, who run Fitt Prep, has been livestreaming their business routine to engage with the community. Emilie Geant/Supplied

“The issue with social media is everyone is only showing the shiny part of being an artist. I like that on TikTok that’s a little bit less shiny. People are a bit more real and genuine. I think people need to understand that running an art business, it looks really cool, but it’s actually a lot of work, a lot of admin work.”

She said showing the “less shiny” part of her work broke down the barrier between an artist and the customer.

“It’s not just a painting, it’s a person behind the painting. (In my livestreams) I’m explaining why I’m doing what I’m doing, why I’m making the choice visually. So people get attached more emotionally and I had more followers thanks to the livestreams, and also more sales online.”

Palmerston North based artist Emilie Geant says livestreaming her work process has translated into more orders. Emilie Geant/Supplied

And livestreaming itself has become an important revenue stream for some creators.

Lower Hutt musician Charles Humphreys has been livestreaming since 2022, showcasing his work up to five times a week.

“It’s multi-level rewarding. I will get paid from the TikTok stream. I will get rewarded by people listening to my original music, which is out there. I will get rewarded by the fan base growing. I’m also making great connections with other artists around the world.”

While most days he has an audience in the hundreds, one Tuesday he hosted a crowd of 9000 for 12 minutes.

His livestreams are so popular that they attracted the attention of TikTok, who asked him to be the opening act for this year’s TikTok Live Fest in Las Vegas.

Charles Humphreys’ livestreams are so popular that TikTok asked him to be the opening act for this year’s TikTok Live Fest in Las Vegas. Charles Humphreys / Supplied

Humphreys said some times, he can make close to $10,000 a month, while he made very little on others.

But he prepares for each streaming session equally with a full suit, professional sound equipment, and a studio filled with neon lights.

“I’m not there playing a game. I’m absolutely there 100 percent to perform. One day you got an audience of 100 and you make $6000. And another day you might find that you’re talking to some place in the world where money’s not so good. But you still perform anyway because they deserve it as well.”

Lower Hutt musician Charles Humphreys takes all of his livestreams very seriously. Charles Humphreys / Supplied

Livestreaming has helped him reach audiences from all over the world, all walks of life. “Some of them can’t go anywhere. Some of them just feel like, you know what, I’m never going to make it to a concert hall. I can’t afford $200 to go and see whoever the artist is, but I can afford to give a little bit of time on TikTok to Charles. And he makes me feel like there’s a little bit of hope in the world and there is a place where I can be happy and we can have a laugh.”

And if you are aching to showcase your talent, Humphreys has a piece of advice.

“So if you’re one of those people who feels like they’d like to share something about themselves, just do it. Forget the intimidation, forget the feeling of not being able to or not being capable. Just do it.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Albanese warns Australians coming months ‘may not be easy’

By The Conversation -

April 1, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has warned Australians to brace for difficult months ahead, but pledged the government will protect them as well as it can, in an address to the nation on the impact of the Middle East War.

Albanese said he wanted to be “upfront” about the situation.

“The months ahead may not be easy”, he said.

“Australia is not an active participant in this war, but all Australians are paying higher prices because of it.

“And the reality is, the economic shocks caused by this war will be with us for months.”

In his address, Albanese said it was the Australian way for people to want to do their bit, and suggested “simple ways” they could.

“You should go about your business and your life, as normal. Enjoy your Easter.

“If you’re hitting the road, don’t take more fuel than you need – just fill up like you normally would.

“Think of others in your community, in the bush and in critical industries.

“And over coming weeks, if you can switch to catching the train or bus or tram to work, do so.

“That builds our reserves and it saves fuel for people who have no choice but to drive.

“Farmers and miners and tradies who need diesel, every single day.

“And all those shift workers and nurses, who do so much for our country.”

He said on Monday National Cabinet had adopted the National Fuel Security Plan to keep Australia moving and make sure it was prepared for the future “so that if the global situation gets worse and our fuel supplies are seriously disrupted over the long term, we can coordinate the next steps together”.

The government was working to bring the price of fuel down, to make more fuel here and keep it on-shore, and to get more fuel into the country, Albanese said.

“These are uncertain times.

“But I am absolutely certain of this: we will deal with these global challenges, the Australian way.

“Working together – and looking after each other.”

– ref. Albanese warns Australians coming months ‘may not be easy’ – https://theconversation.com/albanese-warns-australians-coming-months-may-not-be-easy-278788

The Drama is a dark rom-com with a controversial twist

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

OK, now the movies are cooking again.

Despite appearances to the contrary, the wildly unpredictable new A24 film The Drama is anything but a traditional romantic comedy, even if it tangles with modern love in darkly funny ways.

It’s not called The Drama for nothing.

.

VVS Films

Norwegian arthouse director Kristoffer Borgli’s latest American foray — starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson as a happily engaged couple whose forthcoming nuptials hit an unexpected snag — is best seen with as little prior knowledge as possible, in order to let its rollercoaster emotional twists catch you off guard.

In many ways it’s reminiscent of the kind of dramatic adult thriller Hollywood used to make in the 80s and 90s, in which a high-concept, often outlandish premise was guaranteed to set cultural wildfires —and often, as is the case here, featured two irresistible stars at the top of their game.

The story begins with a meet-cute in a Boston café, one that’s immediately stacked with layers of deceit. Charlie (Pattinson) clocks Emma (Zendaya) alone reading a book and quickly Googles it to chat her up, only to realise she can’t hear him because she’s deaf in one ear. She suggests he try again. Improbably, they hit it off.

“You’re a weird little freak,” she tells him later. “A little British freak.”

The moment, seen in flashback, has become a touchpoint for the now-engaged couple, a pair of attractive, successful millennials — he’s the head curator at a prestigious museum — with an enviable Boston townhouse and a close circle of cool, urbane friends.

Everything’s picture-perfect until Emma, Charlie and their married besties Rachel (Alana Haim) and Mike (Mamoudou Athie) get a little drunk at the wedding wine sampling, and stumble into a game of “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?”

Mike (Mamoudou Athie) and Rachel (Alana Haim) witness the fallout in Emma and Charlie’s relationship.

VVS Films

After some mildly embarrassing confessions, Emma drops a bit of teenage lore that leaves everyone reeling — and her secret, like an emotional depth charge, soon turns the movie on its head.

The revelation, which has already leaked online, involves a particularly loaded topic in US culture, and it’s sure to crack open a can of cultural worms in an era ravaged by rock-bottom media literacy.

In his buzzy Norwegian cult hit Sick of Myself (2023), Borgoli took aim at pill-popping, surgery-addicted influencers with a cruel, albeit sometimes very funny sense of humour, while his less successful English-language debut Dream Scenario (2023) used a viral Nicolas Cage to mount an attack on cancel culture.

The Drama is very much in line with his penchant for provocation, but here the film’s taboo revelation is less important than the reaction it inspires in the characters, whose paranoia and sense of righteousness — and even their unstable relationship with reality — are exposed across one unsettling, hilarious scene after another.

While Borgoli’s film at first comes on like a smug European caricature of North Americans, complete with easy-if-amusing satire of millennial romance and the wedding industrial complex, it gradually reveals a more complex hand.

He taps into our unhealthy obsession with personal branding, where one mistake — even a mind crime — can decimate a person’s social capital, and reveal the lack of empathy in those around us. Is redemption even possible when others have an image to maintain?

If Borgoli’s grasp of American culture — especially race — has its limits, then that’s also part of what makes the movie work. As Pattinson’s Charlie unravels, we’re also watching a very European misconception of the US implode, right down to images that fuse sex, race and violence in clichéd — some will say irresponsible — ways. It’s as though Borgoli is telling on himself as much as his character.

There’s a hallucinatory aspect to much of it — juiced by Borgoli’s flash-forward editing and Daniel Pemberton’s uneasy, 70s psycho-drama score — that captures a man in the midst of losing control, wracked with suspicion and doubt.

The Drama stars Zendaya and Robert Pattinson with director Kristoffer Borgli (centre).

VVS Films

Talk about Zendaya taking care of her little white boys.

In a film that relishes wrong-footing expectations, both stars deliver shapeshifting performances that help push the material toward unusual places, spinning on a dime from jet-black comedy to moments of vicious emotional warfare.

Pattinson, in particular, has never been better, mining all his freaky little eccentricities — not to mention his reputation as acting’s most notorious fabulist — for a memorable dramatic turn, while Zendaya’s gift for cool, inscrutable ambiguity serves her character to perfection.

Charlie and Emma’s relationship in The Drama is free and easy … until it isn’t.

VVS Films

Where it all ends up isn’t for spoiling here; suffice to say it isn’t any place an audience might imagine. Perhaps the most surprising aspect is Borgoli’s unusually cheesy — and for him, oddly empathetic — ending; though whether or not it’s intended to be taken at face value is up for discussion.

It’s just one of the many pleasures of this layered, thorny, often unnerving film, which — if the Ingmar Bergman poster adorning Emma and Charlie’s living room wall weren’t enough of a clue — is as psychologically intense as it is comedic.

In other words, it’s a perfect date movie.

Don’t miss it — and whatever you do, don’t Google it.

The Drama is in cinemas on April 2.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Pharmac needs more staff and money to speed-up drug funding decision – advocates

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

The new report highlights progress and persistent gaps in the country’s medicines system. File photo. CC BY-NC 2.0 Gatis Gribusts

Pharmac needs more staff and a bigger operational budget to speed-up decisions on drug funding, say patient advocates.

In a report released today, the agency has been criticised for a focus on cost efficiency over health outcomes, and for slow decision-making and backlogs.

The report – written by Patient Voice Aotearoa and Medicines New Zealand and titled “Valuing Life – Medicines Access Summit 2025 Report” – is based off the findings of a two-day hui at Parliament in October last year.

Hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Associate Minister of Health responsible for Pharmac David Seymour, the event brought together 180 people, including patient groups, clinicians, government officials, academics, and pharmaceutical industry representatives for a series of panels and workshops.

The report highlighted progress and persistent gaps in the country’s medicines system, noting “while some progress has been made, delivery remains uneven” and several foundational reforms “have not been started or addressed fully”.

Key findings highlighted in the report include:

Progress is fragile without political leadership and accountability
New Zealand continues to lag behind OECD peers
Pharmac continues to be greatly underfunded
Patients’ groups and clinicians are calling for a system that values timeliness, transparency, and lived experience
Global pressures are reshaping medicines access
A call for partnership and long‑term reform

Patient Voice Aotearoa chair Dr Malcolm Mulholland said two thirds of those recommendations had seen progress made since the summit, but a third were yet to see action.

Mulholland is also the chair of the consumer and patient working group, which was set up last year to work alongside Pharmac’s board overseeing a 12-month reset programme currently underway, which is aimed at making Pharmac more open and responsive.

“[Pharmac] are going to need a bigger a bigger operations budget to do a lot of the work around the health technology assessment,” he said.

“If we’re looking to speed it up, ultimately they are going to need more staff in those positions, so that’s why the operations budget is so important.”

Finance Minister Nicola Willis referred questions to Seymour’s office.

Seymour said while it was still a work in progress, for the first time in years Pharmac was “genuinely moving in the right direction”.

“We’ve given patients a stronger voice, appointed a consumer working group, and made Pharmac more transparent. We will continue to push Pharmac in the direction the patient community wants.

“Five years ago many of the Medicines Summit attendees would have been picketing outside Pharmac. This year, they were having genuine conversations with each other and Pharmac’s leadership about how to deliver the best service for Kiwis.”

This government had allocated a budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift.

“With that money, Pharmac has made 133 decisions to fund or widen access to medicines. This includes decisions on 46 cancer medicines. Over 200,000 patients have benefited.”

Pharmac chief executive Natalie McMurtry said Pharmac had appreciated the opportunity to attend the summit for the past two years, and it had provided an invaluable opportunity to hear first-hand from patients, advocates, suppliers and clinicians.

Since then, they had recruited more health economists to increase Pharmac’s capacity to assess funding applications, she said, and were trailing faster, more efficient assessment pathways which were showing early signs of success.

“We are also exploring how adopting a societal perspective can help us better demonstrate the value of new treatments, particularly when considering significant investments.

“Recently, we launched a review of our Exceptional Circumstances Framework, which allows Pharmac to consider funding medicines for certain individuals in special or exceptional clinical situations.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Road tolls: Driving from Auckland to Northland and back could cost drivers $14.20

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

The newest section of motorway between Auckland and Northland, which opened in 2023, connects Pūhoi to Warkworth. The next stage will continue to Te Hana, north of Wellsford. Supplied / NZTA Waka Kotahi

A return trip between Auckland and Whangārei could cost drivers $14.20 in tolls, if a proposal for the planned Northland Expressway goes ahead.

That means commuters travelling daily between Northland and the country’s biggest city would pay around $3400 a year in tolls.

The NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is currently consulting on tolls for the planned Warkworth to Te Hana section of the Northland Corridor, which is to be built as a public-private partnership (PPP) under the government’s Roads of National Significance programme.

The proposal is for two electronic toll gates on the 26km stretch of expressway, the southern one charging $3 and the northern one $1.50.

The Northern Gateway motorway, from the North Shore to Pūhoi, already charges a toll of $2.60.

Added to the new tolls, that would make a total of $7.10 each way or $14.20 return between Auckland and the Northland border.

Trucks would pay $6 and $3 on the new expressway and $5.20 on the Northern Gateway, adding up to $14.20 each way or $28.40 return.

For Anna Giddens – who lives in Mangawhai but works four days a week at the University of Auckland, it could mean around $2600 a year in tolls – if she had to pass through all three electronic gates.

If she could avoid the northernmost toll gate she would still pay $2100 a year.

“Obviously it’s an added cost. It just seems like everything keeps going up, it would be added on top of everything else.”

Giddens said she would have to absorb the extra cost herself, but it would not be “a deal breaker” that would force her to quit her Auckland job.

“It’s not ideal, but I could cope with it. But I can imagine it could affect some people more.”

She said it would also affect businesses using the highway, which would have to pass the extra costs onto customers.

The Pūhoi viaduct opened in 2023, part of the newest section of motorway linking Auckland and Northland. Supplied / NZTA Waka Kotahi

Giddens questioned the equity of requiring Northlanders to pay tolls while other recently completed roads – such as the Waikato Expressway and Transmission Gully, both of which cost more than $2 billion – were toll-free.

“I understand that the cost of this is incredibly high. It’s probably the highest cost for a road construction project in this country ever, and I guess we don’t have the money. But it does seem disproportionate that the North is being tolled, compared to other parts of the country.”

Giddens said the answer for her would be to find work closer to home, but that was not easy in the current job market.

In any case, she did not have to worry about paying the extra tolls anytime soon – work on the first section of the expressway was due to start at the end of this year, and was expected to open around 2034.

A map showing the planned route of the Warkworth to Te Hana section of the Northland Corridor, with the location of the two electronic toll gates. Supplied / NZTA Waka Kotahi

The consultation document showed the new tolls could be levied for either 35 or 60 years.

Automobile Association senior policy analyst Sarah Geard said equity was one of the issues members raised most often about the tolling proposal – especially given Northland’s low median income.

Only two other roads were currently tolled in New Zealand, both in Tauranga.

“A point to make here is that in 2024 the government instructed NZTA that they do need to consider tolling on every new road … so we expect that will be the norm from this point.”

Geard said the AA was open to tolling if it meant new roads would be built sooner.

“And that means people who choose to use the road will benefit earlier than they otherwise would. I also note that under legislation, there must always be a feasible, untolled alternative route available to people who don’t want to use the toll roads, so that’s always an option,” she said.

“But we’re very mindful that tolls do mean extra cost to motorists, and we recognise there is already a toll road between Auckland and Whangārei.”

Geard said the AA had yet to decide its position on the Warkworth to Te Hana proposal.

The organisation was still working through information from NZTA to understand why the proposed toll was $4.50, why it was split into two tolls of differing amounts, and how the tolls would affect the number of vehicles using the new road.

New Zealand’s trucking industry also supported tolling if it sped up roading projects – but had reservations about the details of the Warkworth to Te Hana plan.

Paula Rogers, commercial transport specialist for the National Road Carriers (NRC), said about 1000 heavy trucks travelled between Auckland and Northland every day, transporting everything from food and fuel to logs and building materials.

She said the industry was pleased the new route would bypass Dome Valley, which was notorious for crashes and delays.

If tolling brought forward the project and its safety and efficiency benefits, that was a positive for all road users, Rogers said.

However, NRC had concerns about the methodology used to arrive at a toll of $9 for heavy vehicles.

Including the existing toll, that added up to $28.40 per return trip.

“Given the high frequency of freight movements along this corridor, these cumulative costs become significant for transport operators and are ultimately passed through to customers and the wider economy.”

Rogers said NRC wanted greater transparency around how NZTA had arrived at the proposed tolls, and whether the cumulative impact of multiple tolls on freight costs had been considered.

According to the NZTA’s consultation documents, the new Warkworth-Te Hana road would shave 7-10 minutes off travel times compared to the existing road.

It would also reduce the number and severity of crashes, especially in the Dome Valley, which was known for its “safety and resilience challenges”.

NZTA said tolling would allow the PPP to get started sooner, and free up money for other roading projects.

The reason for proposing separate toll points north and south of the Wayby Valley interchange was to make it fairer – motorists would pay according to how much of the new road they used – and to prevent congestion caused by large number of drivers diverting onto free local roads.

The new road would run west of and parallel to Dome Valley, before crossing the existing State Highway 1 and passing east of the notorious summer chokepoint at Wellsford.

It would rejoin the existing highway at Te Hana, just south of the Northland border and about 20km south of the Brynderwyn Hills.

The existing section of State Highway 1 would be reclassified as a local road and would be free to use.

Eventually two more sections of Northland Expressway would be built, from Te Hana over the Brynderwyns to Port Marsden Highway, and from Port Marsden Highway to Whangārei.

Each section was expected to have its own tolls.

The tolls being consulted on are based on 2025 prices, so could be adjusted for inflation.

NZTA documents show the Northern Gateway, which opened in 2009, is expected to be tolled until about 2045.

Public consultation on the Warkworth to Te Hana proposal runs until 15 April.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Section of central Auckland road blocked following car fire

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

A section of a central Auckland street has been blocked after a car caught fire.

The blaze in a hatchback vehicle happened outside the ferry terminal building on Wednesday evening.

Firefighters had extinguished the flames and were monitoring the car.

Firefighters at the scene in Auckland’s CBD. EDWARD GAY / RNZ

Video from the scene showed flames and smoke billowing from the car.

A reporter at the scene said the car had been “destroyed” by the fire.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

West Coast families forced to manage complex health needs at home – Aged Care Association

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Some older people are being forced to leave their communities to receive care, say advocates. File photo. Unsplash/ Ina Ramos

West Coast families are being left to manage complex health needs at home because of a shortage of aged care beds, the Aged Care Association says.

The association is calling on the government to establish a dedicated infrastructure fund to increase bed numbers and to recognise aged care as a critical component of the health system.

Chief executive Tracey Martin said there were providers ready to build and expand bed numbers but they were unable to do so because of a lack of funding support.

More than 50 aged residential care beds had been lost in the Buller district in the past decade after the withdrawal of Health New Zealand services in Reefton and Westport.

The impact was being felt across the health system and the problem was entirely fixable, Martin said.

O’Conor Home, Westport’s only aged care residence, had 20 people on its waiting list, including eight who had been assessed as requiring residential care but could not access it locally.

Ziman House, Reefton’s 12-bed aged care residence, permanently closed in 2024 – two years after it shut suddenly because of unsustainable staffing levels.

Martin said with no beds available, older people remained in hospital unnecessarily or were forced to leave their communities to receive care.

Recently an older person nearing the end of their life spent more than a month in a West Coast hospital assessment, support and rehabilitation unit because no aged care bed was available and they could not return home.

“This is what happens when aged care is not recognised as health care,” Martin said.

“These are people who have been clinically assessed as needing care. When there is no aged care bed available, they don’t stop needing care – they stay in hospital or families are left to manage complex health needs at home.”

The consequences extended beyond individual families and placed additional pressure on already stretched hospital and emergency services, she said.

West Coast had one of the oldest populations in the country with more than a quarter of residents aged over 65 – almost double the national average.

Beds would not be built and hospitals would continue to carry the cost until aged care was treated as core health infrastructure and funded accordingly, Martin said.

“If aged care is health care – and it is – then it must be planned, funded and invested in as part of the health system,” she said.

“Right now we are seeing the consequences of not doing so. People are stuck in hospital beds, families are under pressure and communities are losing the ability to care for their own.”

Last year Westland mayor Helen Lash told RNZ people in need of aged care support often left the West Coast because there were no facilities for them.

Radius Residential Care was granted approval in principle by Westland District Council last September for a new aged-care home and village on part of the former Hokitika racecourse site.

It will include an 80-bed care facility, 50-villa retirement village and home care services along with a rest home, hospital and specialised dementia care.

Lash said it was a win for all generations and would benefit the entire community.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

White Ferns captain Amelia Kerr steers epic chase

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Amelia Kerr plays a shot on the way to her century. Marty Melville

A stunning unbeaten century by White Ferns skipper Amelia Kerr has led her side to a record successful chase against South Africa at the Basin Reserve in Wellington.

Kerr clobbered 179 as the White Ferns chased down their 346-run target with two balls and two wickets to spare.

The chase eclipses the 280 the side successfully chased in 2022.

The target came courtesy of 91 by Anneke Bosch, backed up by 69 from skipper Laura Wolvaardt.

Bree Illing was the pick of the New Zealand bowlers, taking 3 for 60.

In reply, Suzie Bates went early for eight, the top order unable to get going before Kerr came to the crease with Izzy Gaze.

Gaze combined with her captain for a 120 run partnership before she ws out for 68.

But Kerr kept things ticking along as she kept losing partners, Kayley Knight there at the end with her captain as they sealed the historic win.

Follow how the game unfolded:

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Bill to ease holiday alcohol restrictions passes final reading in Parliament

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

The bill was put forward by Labour MP Kieran McAnulty. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Legislation to ease alcohol restrictions over Easter, Anzac Day, and Christmas has passed its third and final reading at Parliament.

The bill amends the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow premises that are already open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning, and Christmas Day to sell alcohol under normal licence conditions.

Bottle shops will still have to stay closed, and supermarket alcohol restrictions remain.

The bill passed 66 votes to 56.

It was put forward by Labour MP Kieran McAnulty.

Speaking at the third reading, McAnulty told the House the bill would clear up the guesswork for hospitality staff in deciding what was a “substantial” meal to serve before someone could purchase alcohol, by removing the requirement entirely.

“What is even more ridiculous is that actually they’re not required to eat the meal. They’re only required to purchase it, and it can sit there while they drink, and it could also be argued that they can go and buy another substantial meal in order to keep drinking. That doesn’t make sense. This bill clears that up,” he said.

McAnulty said it was clear there was not a majority in Parliament to amend the Easter Trading laws themselves, something he himself was opposed to amending, and so he was not seeking to change them.

“All we’re talking about here is businesses that can already open. This is not expanding access to alcohol. When we’re only talking about those workers that are working anyway, this is not taking anything away from those workers that otherwise enjoy a guaranteed day off,” he said.

At the Committee of the Whole House stage, and amendment from ACT’s Cameron Luxton was adopted to ensure those venues could continue to serve drinks past midnight the day before the holiday.

Cameron Luxton’s amendment was adopted and one Kieran McAnulty supported. VNP / Phil Smith

Luxton said the provision would allow a business to stay open for its usual licencing hours, and not necessarily that they must remain open or stay open past the 11:59 deadline the day before.

“The amendment says that the premises for which an on-licence is held may remain open during the permitted trading hours that apply to the premises,” he said.

McAnulty said Luxton’s amendment cleared up an anomaly, and he was happy to support it.

Rather than the usual eleven speeches in response to McAnulty’s first call, Assistant Speaker Barbara Kuriger allowed the debate to be split into 22 shorter calls, acknowledging the vote was a conscience matter.

Parliament treats votes on legislation involving alcohol as a conscience matter, meaning MPs are free to vote according to their personal feelings, or those of their constituents, rather than whipped as a party bloc.

It means McAnulty’s Labour colleagues were free to vote against his bill, as Taieri MP Ingrid Leary did.

“I can’t in good conscience continue to see bills come before the House that incrementally change small, nuanced parts of a wider architecture that urgently needs reform,” she said.

ACT voted as a bloc in support, while all New Zealand First and Green MPs opposed the bill.

MP Kahurangi Carter said the Greens had a long history of fighting for alcohol harm reduction laws, and believed the entire Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act needed to be overhauled.

“The Green Party is united in our position that we cannot support this bill,” she said.

New Zealand First MP David Wilson said he valued using those holidays for remembrance and reflection.

“It’s not much to ask to take some time to reflect, to revere, and to respect, and then celebrate with friends and family,” he said.

“A small degree of restriction for a few days to reinforce shared traditions and values is a very small price to pay.”

His New Zealand First colleague Mark Patterson took it a step further, saying the House would be “crossing a Rubicon” with its vote.

“Will they vote to uphold their traditional New Zealand values, history, and traditions? Will they respect our Christian heritage, sacred Christian celebrations of Christmas, Easter Sunday, and Good Friday? Will they acknowledge the solemn commemoration of Anzac Day morning? Or will they sacrifice that heritage at the altar of consumerism and consumption?”

McAnulty’s Labour colleague Lemauga Lydia Sosene said communities in her Māngere electorate wanted to keep those days sacred, and so she opposed it on their behalf.

However, in support of the bill, National’s Greg Fleming said he did not believe the legislation affected the sanctity of those days.

Fleming, who co-founded conservative policy think-tank the Maxim Institute, said many years ago he would have opposed the bill, but he said it was a “considered, incremental, and mature step forward” for a healthy relationship for alcohol, and a healthy respect for differences, rather than being “fearful” of what it meant for sacred days.

ACT’s Laura McClure said people’s behaviour would not change just because trading hours did.

“Our licenced premises have to adhere to really strict rules when it comes to intoxication. One of the safest places you could probably have a few beverages in is a licenced premises.”

National’s Carl Bates, opposing the legislation, said Parliament could have instead clarfied the definition of a “substantial” meal in regulation.

“The idea that the only way to solve this problem is to remove the law, to take a step on that slop towards removing the importance of these days in New Zealand’s history, and in its culture, is in itself absurd.”

Speaking to RNZ before the third reading, McAnulty was hopeful it could get Royal Assent on Thursday, so it could be law before the long weekend.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Body found in central Otago lake during search for missing French national Antoine Richard

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Antoine Richard, 21, went missing from Cromwell. Supplied / NZ Police

A body has been found in a central Otago lake during the search for missing French national Antoine Richard.

Richard, 21, was last seen on 21 March, about 11.45pm at the Victoria Arms Hotel on the corner of Achil St and Melmore Terrace in Cromwell.

A police spokesperson said a body had been found at Cromwell’s Lake Dunstan by a member of the public just after 2.30pm on Wednesday.

While no formal identification had been completed, the spokesperson said it was believed to be Richard.

The death would be referred to the Coroner.

“The community support and search efforts have been extremely appreciated. Our thoughts are with his loved ones at this difficult time.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Bill to ease restrictions on Good Friday, Easter Sunday alcohol sales passes final reading

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Alcohol sale restrictions could be gone by long weekend. RNZ

Legislation to ease alcohol restrictions on public holidays has passed in its third and final reading at Parliament – and could be passed into law in time for this Easter weekend.

It is possible it may receive royal assent on Thursday, meaning some restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday alcohol sales could be gone as soon as this long weekend.

The member’s bill from Labour MP Kieran McAnulty amends the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow premises that are already open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning and Christmas Day to sell alcohol under normal licence conditions.

Currently, bars or restaurants can only sell alcohol if the patron is “residing or lodging” on the premises, or “present on the premises to dine”.

McAnulty said the legislation would clear up a “confusing law” that had been in place for a long time.

“Just because something’s always been that way doesn’t mean that that’s a good reason to keep it,” he said.

The general requirement is that patrons have to order a ‘substantial meal’, but McAnulty said that was not defined, and patrons were not required to eat it anyway.

“That is a bit of a farce of a situation. So all we’re doing is clearing it up that those businesses that are already able to operate anyway can do so under normal conditions, and those that can’t like off-licences and supermarkets, they remain restricted, but for those on-licences that are already operating, they can do so normally.”

Kieran McAnulty RNZ / Angus Dreaver

McAnulty said the timing was a “sticking point,” but as some government bills were scheduled to receive royal assent on Thursday he was hopeful his could be included alongside those.

“It’s quite fortuitous timing, I think, the way that it’s played out. And really, we’re at the mercy and availability of Her Excellency, and I’m not of a mind to flick a text to the governor-general and ask for a solid, so I’m quite happy with the way that it’s played out, and hopefully it does follow through.”

Parliament treats alcohol legislation as a conscience matter, meaning MPs vote according to their personal view or what they think is best for their electorate or community, rather than as a party bloc.

McAnulty’s original intent was to allow any premises that was allowed to operate on those public holidays to sell alcohol, which would have included supermarkets but not bottle shops.

But he said it was changed to keep things simple, and only apply it to on-licence venues.

“It’s proven to be the right decision, because we’ve maintained enough support in Parliament,” he said.

“I know that if we’d stuck with off-licences or supermarkets, there are people that would have withdrawn their support, and it probably wouldn’t have passed.”

An amendment proposed by ACT MP Cameron Luxton has been adopted into the bill.

ACT MP Cameron Luxton. VNP / Phil Smith

Luxton’s amendment means bars can open after midnight on Anzac and Easter holidays.

The ACT MP was hopeful it would be in place in time for the Super Round at Christchurch’s new stadium, which will see 10 Super Rugby teams play over the weekend of 24 to 26 April.

Luxton said it would mean punters coming to enjoy the new stadium were not kicked out at midnight for Anzac Day.

“It’s a huge opening that Christchurch is going to be able to make a great deal out of.”

He said it would change the “you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here” regime currently in place.

“Who knows what’s happening on the streets after that? This bill will enable licensed premises with safety procedures and alcohol policies in place to continue giving people the entertainment, the nightlife that they would like in a responsible and safe way.”

McAnulty said Luxton’s amendment was consistent with the intention of the bill, and he was happy to support it.

“I know that the hospitality businesses in Christchurch are very happy about that, because when their stadium opens and people leave, they won’t have to then be kicked out of the hospitality businesses at midnight because it’s Anzac Day the following day.”

McAnulty, a Catholic, was less concerned with religious opposition to the bill, but understood why people might be opposed on health grounds.

“It’s a valid concern, but because the bill only targets those on-licensed premises that are already able to operate, it’s actually not going to expand the number of premises that can provide alcohol. It just means they don’t have to jump through these ridiculous hoops in order to be able to do it.”

This is not the only piece of legislation that would liberalise alcohol trading laws to pass through Parliament this term.

The government is working through its own piece of legislation to allow restaurants with on-site retail spaces to sell take-home alcoholic beverages, if they also sell takeaway food or non-alcoholic beverages prepared by the business.

Luxton’s own member’s bill to repeal alcohol restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday was voted down at first reading in 2024. That bill would have repealed Good Friday and Easter Sunday as restricted trading days altogether.

Luxton said McAnulty’s bill was “dealing with an element” of what his bill had set out to do.

Another bill by National’s Stuart Smith to allow winery cellar doors to charge visitors for samples and add off-licence categories for wineries holding an on-licence passed successfully through the House in 2024.

Mike Egan. RNZ / Max Towle

Law a ‘fly in the ointment’

Mike Egan, president of the Restaurant Association and co-owner of restaurant Monsoon Poon, said the present law was a “relic from the 1800s” and a “fly in the ointment” for businesses like his.

“The rule is you’re meant to partake in a substantial meal in a pub over Easter on the Friday, and tourists are sort of like, ‘Oh, we’ve eaten, we just all come here for a nightcap,’ or, ‘We just want to have a snack, and you know, we’re wandering around town trying different restaurants and cafes’, and it’s like, ‘No, I’m really sorry, you need to have another meal…’

“People will order a whole meal and not even eat it because the law doesn’t say they actually have to eat it, they just have to have it sitting there in front of them. It’s just a little bit old-fashioned.”

He said the law change would not result in “all this debauchery on Good Friday”.

“[Customers] just want to have a beer in the afternoon after they’ve had a bike ride down the vineyards, you know? So it’s very sort of frustrating trying to police this legislation.”

He said staff would no longer have to act as police officers, checking how much food each customer had ordered if the bill was passed.

“It’ll just make it sort of easier and it’ll just flow like a regular weekend. It will boost business [and] take away a lot of confusion.”

Families struggling with alcohol harm would be worse off – public health adviser

Senior health promotion adviser at Alcohol HealthWatch, Sarah Sneyd, told Checkpoint, she understood people may see it as a small change but it was one that would ever so slightly make access to alcohol easier.

“We have some data from police and emergency departments that show there are fewer alcohol related assaults and ED presentations over the Easter break and that could very well be because it’s harder to access alcohol.”

Sneyd believed there would be real repercussions from changing the restrictions.

“I think it really speaks to a symptom of a deeper problem in our culture we can’t even go a couple of days without access to alcohol. Once again we make it easier to access alcohol on the couple of days where there are some restrictions around it.

“This is not what we hear communities want.”

Sneyd said New Zealand was “saturated” with alcohol and it was a problem with very few protections.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

New police powers: No new money for vital technology

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Enhanced data management will be “essential to building and maintaining public trust and confidence”, say official police documents. File photo. RNZ / Richard Tindiller

A rush to deliver police new powers has not been matched by promised government funding for the technology needed to carry out those powers.

Police need two new or improved tech systems – one to handle the photos of people and other data generated by enhanced intelligence gathering; and one to issue new infringements under a Bill before parliament.

Official papers say enhanced data management will be “essential to building and maintaining public trust and confidence” and to “establish appropriate constraints” around what data police collected and how they used it.

RNZ inquiries show police are paying for the new infringements system out of an “underspend” last year, and there is no funding for a new data management system.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell was told by police last year that “an important complement to the immediate statutory reform we are progressing, will be the need to consider opportunities to enhance police information management and data protection and security measures”.

Another official paper, written six months ago, said: “This work is likely to be significant and will likely require a business case to be developed, for consideration in a future Budget cycle.”

But Mitchell’s office told RNZ this week: “To clarify, the aim is for police to find solutions through enhancing existing technologies. No additional funding has been sought at this stage.”

Mitchell said he could not comment on any work underway on the development of a newly funded Digital Evidence Management System “as clearly an investment of this kind would require additional funding, likely through a Budget process”.

Legislation and technology ‘in parallel’

Official papers mentioned the significance and complexity of the proposed law changes, and how building better data systems to implement them was a matter of trust.

“Police will progress enhancements to data management controls and assurance processes in parallel with the development and progression of the bill and will continue

following commencement of the legislation,” said one.

“These enhancements will be essential to building and maintaining public trust and confidence in police’s information management practices and treatment of personal information and helping ensure compliance with relevant Privacy Act obligations and principles.”

Police told Mitchell in a proactively-released briefing in May: “It is important that, as we establish lawful authority to record visual and other information, we have information systems that enable us to ensure effective storage, retention, searching and destruction of these images.”

This was partly because it was poor data and evidence handling by police that led to a 2022 inquiry and a Supreme Court ruling last year that constrained their powers.

Police were criticised in 2022 for the haphazard storage and handling of tens of thousands of casually-taken photos of Māori youth and others. Attempts by police to put better technology in place missed a deadline set by the Privacy Commissioner.

Not looking – or looking?

Police told RNZ last week they were not looking at any data tech options.

“As this bill has only just begun going through the parliamentary process police has not yet commenced work to investigating supporting technologies that may be required in preparation for implementation,” they said.

But this week they said they were “continuing” to work on the most effective means of managing data. “We are looking at our existing technology and at additional opportunities presented via things such as our Digital Notebook app.”

The papers showed that police had been pushing since last May for “urgent” law change – the earliest date put forward to enact it was by December 2025.

Mitchell responded enthusiastically, but police had to ease up when early engagement with the Justice Ministry and Privacy Commissioner “highlighted the level of challenge likely to be encountered” while noting that “Police has not been well positioned to respond to those concerns to date.”

Freeing up new intel-gathering tech

One driver of the Bill – and of the need to upgrade to a digital evidence management system – was so that new technologies such as body-worn cameras could be introduced more easily.

“The methods and channels by which police collects personal information have changed as a result of technological developments,” said the regulatory impact statement.

“New technology capabilities are supporting policing practices here and internationally, and are creating new opportunities for more effective policing.”

The papers listed other intelligence-gathering tech police might want to harness more: “Mobile phones, high-resolution cameras, drones, Police Eagle helicopter footage, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera networks in urban and rural locations, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), retail camera convergence platforms (for example, Auror and SaferCities), online open-source search tools, waste-water testing, and geospatial and geolocation tools.”

They also noted how “some of this personal information may have an unknown specific intelligence use at the time of collection” – so the Bill sought to give police the freedom to use it in future.

Critics have voiced concerns that this opens the gate too far, without setting up strong safeguards.

Enhanced information systems were seen as a safeguard. “Further information management investment will assist with strengthening these safeguard [sic], ensuring police is meeting its current requirements, and maintaining public trust and confidence,” said the impact statement.

“Whether any investment required will be met through existing baseline, or through a Budget bid, would be addressed through any necessary assessment.”

New infringement system this year

Lack of funding has also delayed replacement of the Police Infringement Processing System (PIPS) for at least eight years, despite it being overloaded and unable to process anything other than traffic offences.

It had to be replaced for the amendment Bill to be implemented this year.

The Bill would give police new powers to detain and fine people in areas they have declared temporarily off-limits, and the old PIPS could not handle this.

Mitchell told RNZ its replacement would be completed this year, but gave no firm date.

The government aims to enact the policing amendment Bill after the select committee reports back in July.

“Police is developing a phased programme of work to transition to the new system which will support enforcement of the new infringement offences as well as existing infringements,” Mitchell said.

“No new funding has been allocated to this development. The system has been funded from Vote Police underspend from the 2024/5 financial year.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Waitaki council welcomed back into water partnership it abandoned

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Southern Waters will kick in from July next year. 123rf

The Waitaki District Council has been welcomed back into the Southern Waters partnership it abandoned last year.

The council announced its plans to team up with Central Otago, Clutha and Gore district councils again to deliver drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services after the Department of Internal Affairs rejected its in-house water services plan.

On Wednesday, the Clutha District Council approved the Waitaki’s return – the last of the partnership to sign off the addition.

Mayor Jock Martin said it made sense for southern district councils to be in this together.

“There’s a real opportunity to share expertise and develop longer-term strategies as the different entities invest in better infrastructure,” he said.

The next step will be for the Waitaki District Council to consider and adopt the partnership paperwork later this month.

If the council agrees to adopt the documents, it will become the fourth shareholding council in the partnership less than a year after backing out.

Southern Waters will kick in from July next year.

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Man who fell overboard from the Interislander ‘extremely unlikely’ to have survived, police say

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

CCTV camera footage from the ferry confirmed the man went into the water just after 11pm – about two hours after the ship departed Picton. Interislander

Police say it is extremely unlikely that a man who went overboard from the Interislander ferry earlier this week has survived.

The man had not been located and searchers had been stood down.

Wellington District Commander Superintendent Penny Gifford said police were advised of the missing man at 2.20am on Tuesday morning.

“This was a full ferry sailing, and the vehicle disembarkation process took about 50 minutes. At the end of that process, the ship’s crew found that a vehicle was still onboard and began a search of the ship for the person associated with it.

“Initial enquiries were undertaken, including further searches of the vessel and attempts to contact the man,” Gifford said.

Gifford said CCTV camera footage from the Kaiārahi ferry confirmed the man went into the water just after 11pm – about two hours after the ship departed Picton.

“Following confirmation of this, the Police Maritime Unit and the Rescue Co-ordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ) were formally engaged shortly after 4am, and a co-ordinated maritime search and rescue operation was initiated,” she said.

Gifford said multiple Police, Coastguard and aerial assets were deployed to find the man and drift modelling was used to guide search activity.

“Weather conditions deteriorated throughout the day, reducing the effectiveness of surface searching. Expert advice received indicated survivability was extremely unlikely,” Gifford said.

She said the Maritime surface search in the area had been completed but broadcasts requesting vessels in the area to keep watch for the man would continue.

Police were in contact with the man’s next of kin and the Coroner’s office had been advised.

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Larvae from exotic mosquito which could carry deadly diseases found in Auckland CBD

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

The area where the mosquito larvae was found in Auckland’s CBD. HEALTH NZ / SUPPLIED

Larvae from a type of exotic mosquito that can carry deadly diseases have been found in downtown Auckland.

The National Public Health Service had launched a surveillance and interception programme after the discovery of the aedes aegypti larvae in a trap near Queens wharf.

The mosquito breed could carry diseases including dengue fever, yellow fever, zika virus and chikungunya virus.

The service said exotic species were occasionally found at ports and airports.

It said the larvae was not considered a public health or biosecurity threat yet because there was no indication they had become established.

But it was doing intensive monitoring for at least three weeks.

The monitoring would take place within a 400m radius of the site where the larvae was identified. Health Protection Officers would place mosquito traps in the survey area.

“These have been hidden away from plain sight so they are not disturbed, for example in old tyres, bushes or pools of water. We ask members of the public to avoid touching or disturbing these traps if they find them, as it may disrupt our monitoring and trapping efforts,” medical officer of health Dr David Sinclair said.

If anyone saw dead mosquitoes near Queens Wharf or within the survey area, for example in puddles or pools of water, they should report it to 0800 669 943.

Sinclair said New Zealanders were most at risk from diseases transmitted by mosquitoes when travelling overseas, including to Pacific Island countries and territories where dengue fever was known to be present.

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Auckland Council spends more than $100,000 in legal fight over off-leash dog ban

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dog Lovers of Monte Cecilia Incorporated Society challenged a local board’s decision with a judicial review. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Auckland Council spent more than $100,000 fighting a group of aggrieved dog owners in court.

After a local board removed an off-leash dog area at Monte Cecilia Park in central Auckland, locals created the Dog Lovers of Monte Cecilia Incorporated Society to challenge the decision with a judicial review, which took place at the High Court in February.

Information supplied by the council under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act (LGOIMA), which RNZ has seen, shows the council spent $109,768.41 responding to the legal action brought against it between July 2025 and March 2026.

That included hiring a King’s Counsel, Katherine Anderson, to represent them in court.

The Dog Lovers Of Monte Cecilia were represented by lawyer George Barton, who took on their case pro bono.

The group raised almost $13,000 to cover other legal fees.

Justice Andrew Becroft is yet to release his judgment on the matter. But in court, he urged the two sides to find a resolution outside of the courtroom.

“For what is an area the size of a running track, there is vast resources being sunk into this by the Council, and there’s a huge amount of work going into this.

“I don’t want to diminish anybody’s emotional connection to the area or to their dogs. But you’d think for what is a reasonably small area, that there might be a way of resolving it short of both sides throwing the legal kitchen sink at the decision-making.”

Auckland Council’s general counsel, Meredith Webb, said the council would attempt to recover costs should a ruling fall in their favour.

“Judicial reviews, like this one, are litigation brought against the council, so we have no choice but to respond and incur costs to defend the claim.

“We have sought to deliver this litigation as cost-effectively as possible, using our internal team who appeared together with an external barrister at the hearing.

“Costs were larger than initially anticipated due to an interlocutory application that was later withdrawn by the applicant, the need to respond to lengthy legal submissions filed by the applicant and unexpected procedural steps.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown was critical of the Dog Lovers group and their legal bid.

“It’s a disgraceful waste of money brought by a small group of people who don’t understand the costs that they inflict on society.”

Spokesperson Jonathan Sweeney said while he was frustrated by the amount of ratepayers’ money spent, the Monte Cecilia community had a right to speak out against what they considered to be an overwhelmingly unpopular decision.

“Eighty-eight percent of people disagreed with the local board as part of the council’s public consultation.

“The council’s own staff said to maintain the status quo.

“All we have done is stand up for ourselves and say, we don’t agree with what you’re doing.”

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Mevo car sharing service goes into voluntary administration

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

The company had cars in Wellington, Auckland, Hamilton and Nelson. Supplied

Users of car sharing service Mevo are gutted the company has gone into voluntary administration, saying it is a cost-effective and climate-conscious choice that has served them well for years.

The Wellington-based company had cars in the capital as well as Auckland, Hamilton and Nelson.

Users reserve a car through an app, unlock it and drive, paying a flat rate for however long they use it and returning it to a choice of dedicated Mevo parks.

Mevo went into voluntary administration on Monday, and regular customers are hoping it will come out the other side.

Peter Graczer lives in Mount Cook, just outside Wellington’s city centre, and said Mevo prevented him from needing his own car.

“We used to have a car, but Mevo turned out to be more economical because we only had that once every week or so use case,” he said.

“It made living without a car actually realistic.”

The service was perfect for weekend trips to pick up bulky items from hardware shops, a trip to the tip and the weekly groceries, said Graczer.

“It’s those occasional errands that it was really perfect for where public transport and Uber just don’t work.”

It was a shame that the company could be going out of business, and he was forced to consider buying a car, he said.

“I just don’t see an alternative which is as flexible and as convenient as Mevo has been for the last few years.”

Wellingtonian Denise Garland had been using Mevo to get to work for years, because her shifts started early, before buses were running.

“It was a really amazing option being able to just pick up a car from down the road and then drop it off outside my workplace,” she said.

She also used it for big supermarket shops, and road trips.

“Just pick up a Mevo, drive it to Castlepoint or even to Hawke’s Bay, have it as a runabout for a couple of days and then return home, park it outside the house and end the trip. Super simple.”

For Garland, it was a climate-conscious choice: much of Mevo’s fleet was electric.

“I made a conscious decision not to buy another petrol vehicle ever again, and electric vehicles are very expensive, so it was much more cost-effective and also very convenient to just be able to pick up Mevos from around the city or outside my house in Miramar and use those.”

She would really miss the service if it closed, and it would make life that little bit more difficult, she said.

Samantha Richards has her own car, but for a quick whip into town or the airport Mevo worked out cheaper – because it has free dedicated car parks.

The prospect of Mevo’s closure was “tragic”, she said.

“It was a great model … I wish we had cars parked on every street that we could all share instead of everybody owning a car or two cars per family.

“I think it’s the future of car use, is to have some system like that.”

For that reason, Richards wanted to support Mevo and had been using it as much as she could, as well as spreading the word to family and friends in an attempt to support the company’s concept.

Mevo could continue under new ownership – administrator

Mevo co-founder Erik Zydervelt referred RNZ’s request for comment to the voluntary administrators appointed on Monday: BDO Wellington’s Jessica Kellow and Iain Shephard.

Kellow said Mevo still had a future.

The 10-year-old company had recorded profits as recently as the last few quarters of last year, but struggled recently to make enough with its expensive fleet, she said.

It was starting to move away from Teslas and BYDs to the likes of Suzuki Swifts.

“The modelling did show that this would be a clear pathway to a turnaround, if you like, but they just essentially have run out of runway.”

The company was also considering adding another option to its offering – having private car owners leasing cars to Mevo, to on-rent.

An investor was set to give Mevo $1.7 million which would have seen it through, but Kellow said they pulled out because Mevo breached some conditions.

She would not give any further detail.

Voluntary administration gives the company breathing space to figure out its next move – investment or sale. Kellow said the latter was more likely.

“We are working with parties that have expressed an interest in completing some due diligence on the business, and we’re hopeful that might lead to a transition of … the business to a new entity or investment into that current platform.”

That would need to be completed within 30 days of the company being placed into administration, which happened on 30 March.

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Electrical rule change deemed ‘dangerous’ is justified, independent review finds

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

The change was introduced in 2025. (File photo) Supplied / New Zealand Electrical Inspectors Association

An independent review says a decision to change electrical wiring rules condemned by some as deadly, is justified but leaves residual risks.

Worksafe said this confirmed it was on a sound footing but the Electrical Inspectors Association was not buying it.

The changes lifted a total ban on inserting a switch, circuit or fuse into mains power earthing systems, known as protective earth neutral conductor (PEN) switching.

Worksafe ordered the review when the inspectors and others in the industry called on the government to intervene, saying it raised the risk of electrocution for households and businesses and it was out of step internationally.

It said it made the changes to future proof power networks for new technology that better enables charging electric vehicles, battery storage and homes generating solar power.

“The report concludes that the decision is justified, but that there are residual risks,” the 37-page review by a UK engineer said.

“Some of the residual risks are already mitigated by existing practices, standards and guidance, whilst others require additional industry guidance and/or standards to be implemented.”

It outlined five risks – a key one was where the protective conductor was switched so that “hazardous touch voltages exist without faults being present”.

Worksafe said the review confirmed its evidence-led approach to electrical safety regulation to future-proof the systems.

It advised against installing switches until it published extra advice.

But the inspectors association said the review should have been done by someone familiar with New Zealand’s system, that differed from the UK’s.

It pointed to the report itself stating, “It is not desirable to switch a PEN conductor under any circumstances. Not all countries enable switching of protective conductors in their national wiring codes. The UK is one country that does, but even in the UK, switching of PEN conductors is precluded.”

The association added, “The independent advice did not undertake any risk assessment/scoring, discuss risk controls or event directly analyse WorkSafe’s advice to MBIE.”

Worksafe said this type of switching had been allowed in some circumstances for decades and the “risks are well understood and can be managed through existing controls and other guidance”.

“Overall, the review confirms the advice supports innovation, energy resilience, and safety, consistent with Energy Safety’s role as the electricity and gas regulator.”

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Former Interislander ferry yet to arrive in Port Nelson

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Vega has now re-appeared on the shipping schedule to enter Port Nelson next week. Supplied

The former Interislander ferry Aratere has yet to come into Port Nelson for water and supplies, after its booking last week was cancelled.

The ship, now called Vega, has been anchored in Tasman Bay, with about 20 crew from India onboard, for nearly four months.

The vessel has now re-appeared on the shipping schedule to enter Port Nelson next week, although that could change.

A Maritime NZ spokesperson said there were plans for an inspector to board the Vega while it was in Port Nelson last week, before the booking was cancelled. It had not since been informed of any plans to bring the vessel into Nelson.

Port movements and bookings were managed between the ship’s agent and the port, the spokesperson said.

The agent, Inchcape Shipping Services, has been contacted for comment.

New Zealand’s employment law and wage standards do not apply, because the ship is flagged to a foreign country, Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The Maritime Union of NZ have raised concerns that the crew are being paid less than International Labour Organization standards.

The Maritime NZ spokesperson said its inspectors had regularly engaged with the Vega, its operator and the flag state about compliance with international requirements.

“The master and the agent have previously provided assurances about welfare matters, including payment.”

The spokesperson said the information provided reaffirmed what they had been told by the crew when we visited the vessel earlier in March.

KiwiRail retired the ferry last August and announced in October it had been sold to a buyer, Jahaj Solutions (F.Z.E), who would deliver it to a shipbreaking yard in India.

It since had the Interislander logos painted over and has been anchored out in Tasman Bay since early December.

RNZ understands issues with paperwork for the ship’s entry to India are the reason it had not left New Zealand.

The Environmental Protection Authority last month said the application for the ship’s export was complete.

The authority told RNZ this week it was unable to provide an update.

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Is the Fitzroy River a suitable venue for the Brisbane Olympics, given it’s home to crocodiles?

By The Conversation -

April 1, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Baka, Honorary Professor, School of Kinesiology, Western University, London, Canada; Adjunct Fellow, Olympic Scholar and Co-Director of the Olympic and Paralympic Research Centre, Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University

Quite a few crocodile tears have been shed on the issue of the rowing and canoeing venue of the 2032 Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics.

The reason for the controversy is the proposed venue – Rockhampton’s Fitzroy River.

The tidal river is prone to flooding and is also home to crocodiles.

While the Queensland government is adamant the venue will host rowing and canoeing, others are nervous.

So, what are the pros and cons, and who will have the final say?

Disagreements among decision-makers

The river has a deep-rooted rowing history dating back to 1863 and has hosted significant events such as the 2009 Australian Masters Championships.

Last week, Queensland deputy premier Jarrod Bleijie reinforced the river will host rowing and canoeing events in 2032.

But World Rowing and the International Canoe Federation are conducting studies and feasibility assessments, and have not yet thrown their full support behind the venue.

Officials from both governing bodies toured the venue in February with members of the 2032 organising committee.

Several Olympians, including Australian rowing legend Drew Ginn, have expressed concerns about the fairness of holding the rowing in a tidal river. Competitors in some lanes could be disadvantaged due to varying current conditions caused by tides, flooding and water depth.

Ginn said:

I think it’s just embarrassing that we’re doing it. Imagine the 100m sprint having a (runner) in lane six going forward, and on lane one going backwards and thinking that’s fair for athletes. Rivers flow, rivers flood, we know the course up there has real issues around this – that’s ok for a local regatta … but it’s not ok for the Olympic Games.

As well as concerns about currents and flooding, the river is also home to crocodiles, although official Queensland government statistics show no crocodile attacks on humans have been recorded here – only sightings.

President of Brisbane’s organising committee Andrew Liveris dismissed concerns about the crocodiles:

There are sharks in the ocean and we still do surfing […] creatures below the water – that’s a bit kind of ‘Hollywoodish’.

Supporters of the Fitzroy River

Key decision makers – the Queensland government, the Brisbane organising committee headed by Liveris and the Games Infrastructure and Coordination Authority – want the Olympics and Paralympics to be regionalised.

Rockhampton fits into this plan. It was a state election promise and part of the original proposal to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which encourages hosts to take a decentralised approach.

Both the 2024 Paris summer games and 2026 Milano Cortina winter games demonstrated a successful model of decentralised venues, with ongoing socio-economic legacy for residents.

Out of the 17 proposed new or upgraded venues for the 2032 games, there are nine in regional areas.

Recreational and elite athletes train on the river and Australian training camps were held there before the Tokyo and Paris games.

While some argue the river has technical challenges due to its bends and currents, course adaptations are always possible – for example, for the 2028 Los Angeles games, the course length has been reduced from the standard 2,000 metres to 1,500m.

The arguments against

It will be expensive to dredge the river and widen it as well as costs for security, seating and other added amenities. The total has been estimated at $500 million but upgrades have not yet commenced.

Many Olympians are not in favour of this site, claiming it is not an Olympic-calibre venue.

A separate athlete’s village will need to be built, and competitors in these two sports will be isolated from the main action down south, about 640 kilometres away.

Suggested alternative venues are in Moreton Bay and the Queensland State Rowing Centre in the Gold Coast.

Moreton Bay in particular has shown interest in hosting. As it is only a one-hour drive from Brisbane, Moreton Bay would be more centralised and logistically easier to manage.

The Gold Coast venue is also close to Brisbane and is a well-used facility. Both would still require significant expenditure to upgrade, but possibly less costly than Rockhampton.

There is also a proposal to relocate to Penrith in New South Wales – the rowing site of the Sydney 2000 games. This is not a realistic alternative given the Queensland government’s investment and promised games legacies.

Then there is of course the crocodiles. Media hype on this angle is strong, although fears may be overblown, as no human attacks have been reported and the venue hosts community and school rowing regularly.

It’s almost decision time

Venues and the sports program for the games must be confirmed this year. This gives a six-year timeframe to adequately complete construction and prepare for the games.

The IOC, World Rowing and the International Canoeing Federation will have the final say – the IOC will likely discuss it at board meetings in May and June.

It appears leaving rowing and canoeing in Rockhampton is the most likely option at this point in time.

But history tells us, when it comes to finalising Olympic venues, key decision-makers rarely all paddle in the same direction.

– ref. Is the Fitzroy River a suitable venue for the Brisbane Olympics, given it’s home to crocodiles? – https://theconversation.com/is-the-fitzroy-river-a-suitable-venue-for-the-brisbane-olympics-given-its-home-to-crocodiles-279213

Nearly half our permanent migrants are working below their skill level: former Treasury Secretary

By The Conversation -

April 1, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Australia’s failure to fully use the skills of its permanent migrants is an “enormous waste” for the economy, former Treasury Secretary Martin Parkinson has warned, calling for urgent action in the May budget to free up this talent.

Nearly half of all permanent migrants were working below their skill level, Parkinson said in a Wednesday address.

The former senior public servant led a review of migration for the Albanese government, presented in 2023 and concluding that the migration program, including permanent and temporary arrivals, was not fit for purpose.

In what amounted to an indictment of the government’s failure to follow through, he said this finding had been accepted by government and stakeholders but not enough had been done since to fix problems.

The debate about numbers, where people came from or what they believed “obscures the more tractable, and politically easier issue to solve” relating to the skilled permanent migration program.

This program involved two parts.

“Part one is getting the right skilled migrants into the country. That is the migration system: what are our needs, today and into the future, and then ensuring our visa settings, our selection criteria, the operation of the points test, the core skills list, processing times and so on, all work together to address those needs.

“The Migration Review canvassed this in depth, pointing the way forward – little, if anything, seems to have been done in response.

“Part two doesn’t get the same attention.

“It is what happens after those skilled migrants have been granted the pathway to permanent residency/citizenship. In particular, whether Australia will let them use the skills they were brought here to contribute.

“That is the skills and qualifications recognition and occupational licensing system.

“It is where enormous economic value is currently going to waste, largely unnoticed.”

Parkison said Australia prevented migrants, including those already in the country, from working at their full capacity.

“We have a multi-step, multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional assessment and licensing process that was never designed as a system. It just accumulated, layer by layer, over decades.

“It is like a river, clogged by mud, sludge and garbage over decades. But a river that can be reshaped and cleaned away by a flood of common sense and good policy.”

“No matter where you sit on the size of the migration program debate, you have to recognise that a more immediate question is whether Australia is getting the economic value it should from the skilled people it has already invited here, and those it will invite in the future.”

Supporting the Activate Australia’s Skills campaign – a campaign backed by business, union, and community organisations for reform of Australia’s complex and burdensome skills recognition system – Parkinson said an independent skills and qualifications recognition commissioner was needed.

This would be a statutory function overseeing an end-to-end recognition system, from visas to occupational licences to employment.

“It would identify system barriers and propose solutions while never reducing Australia’s rightly high standards.

“It turns a patchwork of individual assessing bodies into a system, with shared objectives that works in the public interest to ensure an adequate supply of talent to address the nation’s skill shortages

“Every functioning system requires good governance with the right incentives.

“This governance framework would help facilitate harmonisation across states and territories to reduce the variation in licensing requirements for the same occupation in different jurisdictions.”

– ref. Nearly half our permanent migrants are working below their skill level: former Treasury Secretary – https://theconversation.com/nearly-half-our-permanent-migrants-are-working-below-their-skill-level-former-treasury-secretary-279206

Auckland Council spends over $100,000 in legal fight over off-leash dog ban

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dog Lovers of Monte Cecilia Incorporated Society challenged a local board’s decision with a judicial review. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

Auckland Council spent more than $100,000 fighting a group of aggrieved dog owners in court.

That included hiring a King’s Counsel, Katherine Anderson, to represent them in court.

The Dog Lovers Of Monte Cecilia were represented by lawyer George Barton, who took on their case pro bono.

The group raised almost $13,000 to cover other legal fees.

Justice Andrew Becroft is yet to release his judgment on the matter. But in court, he urged the two sides to find a resolution outside of the courtroom.

“For what is an area the size of a running track, there is vast resources being sunk into this by the Council, and there’s a huge amount of work going into this.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Rural doctors say fuel crisis already impacting services

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dr Jo Scott-Jones. Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners / supplied

Rural GPs are already facing challenges because of [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/591089/fuel-cost-jumps-40-in-a-week-who-s-feeling-it-most rising fuel prices and some are stocking up on extra medical supplies.

Ōpōtiki-based GP and clinical director of Pinnacle Midlands Health Network, Dr Jo Scott-Jones, has spoken to rural GPs about how fuel increases are affecting them.

He said doctors going out on prime calls – when GPs escort the ambulance service during emergency callouts – were already facing added costs.

“They’re already seeing the impact of the fuel prices on filling up the prime car, and they’re reflecting that there have been no increasing prime payments to help them with additional cost.

And Scott-Jones said GPs were preparing in other ways as well.

“People are looking ahead at potential stock issues and starting to order stock and medical supplies over and above what they would normally carry this time of year.

“They’re worried about suppliers and potentially cost of deliveries into the rural communities into the future as well.”

Scott-Jones said he knew of patients reluctant to drive to Waikato Hospital, and at his own practice more people were asking to speak to a doctor through their digital services.

He added that some practices were starting to ramp up their telehealth services, similar to what happened during the Covid pandemic, to minimise travel costs for patients.

“It would be great to see the hospital services thinking about this as well, for those patients who are coming in for a follow-up for outpatients as well.

“The Midlands region where I do most of my work, it can be several hours of driv[ing] to get to the hospital and then several hours to get back. Those additional costs are really significant.”

He supported the government’s $50 payment to help families with additional fuel costs.

However, he also wanted an urgent review of the current transport arrangements and support for patients who need to go into hospital.

“If we can help target really necessary medically important travel through a transport scheme, that would be really useful.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

BSA ‘bordering on fascist’ after The Platform decision – Peters

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Winston Peters says the BSA’s decision that it has jurisdiction over an online media service is one of “breathtaking audacity”. File photo. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Winston Peters has accused the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) of “bordering on fascist” after it concluded it has jurisdiction over the online media service The Platform.

The New Zealand First leader made the comments in an interview with The Platform broadcaster Sean Plunket on Wednesday morning.

The BSA had just published a decision it could consider a complaint made against The Platform, because the programme “meets the Act’s definition of ‘broadcasting’”.

The complaint was regarding comments made by Plunket about karakia and tikanga Māori being “mumbo jumbo”.

Peters told Plunket the move was one of “breathtaking audacity”.

“Frankly, they should go. They should be abolished. They’re out of time. They’ve got no use anymore.”

Plunket – who disagrees with the BSA decision – told his audience he was frustrated by the lack of action from the government.

“I had a personal assurance from the prime minister last year, who said to me, and I’ll quote, ‘Don’t worry mate, we’ve got your back on this’.”

Speaking to reporters on his way into the House on Wednesday afternoon, the prime minister said he did not recall those comments.

“I don’t recall every conversation I have with everybody, but I can’t imagine that’s something I’ve said,” Christopher Luxon said.

Plunket said there was no rationale for the BSA to broaden its remit to include The Platform, and he had assurances from the government they would intervene.

Luxon denied the government had got involved in the matter.

“We have not interfered in this process at all, the BSA is independent, but there is a range of options available to the minister.”

The ACT Party has a private member’s bill to abolish the BSA, which Peters hinted his party would support.

ACT leader David Seymour told reporters at Parliament on Wednesday afternoon that it was time for the BSA to go.

“It’s a creature of 1989 – before the internet existed – we live in a different world today and it’s clearly overstepping its mandate,” he said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Banning card surcharges will make paying simpler – but not necessarily cheaper

By The Conversation -

April 1, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vibhu Arya, PhD Student, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney

From October 1, 2026, Australians will no longer pay a fee for debit, prepaid and credit payments using eftpos, Mastercard and Visa cards. The Reserve Bank of Australia estimates the change could save consumers around A$1.6 billion a year.

The case for change sounds simple enough: one price, no add-ons, no surprises at the end of a transaction.

But credit card companies, banks, restaurants and others are already warning they could raise fees and prices in other areas once card surcharges are banned.

That means we could see costs shifting, rather than falling.

How a card payment actually works

Most people experience paying by card as a direct exchange with a shop. Behind that tap, several other parties are quietly collecting their share before your money reaches the shop.

When you pay at a cafe, your bank approves the transaction and releases the funds. The cafe’s bank receives that money on the business’s behalf. Between them sits the card network – usually Visa or Mastercard – routing the payment from one to the other.

Then there’s the payment service provider, the company behind both the software processing the transaction and the physical device you tapped your card on.

Each of them charges for what they do. When a business applies a surcharge on card payments, it’s trying to claw back some of these costs.

The single largest charge is the interchange fee, currently capped at 0.8% of your purchase for credit cards and 0.2% for debit cards, paid to banks.

The Reserve Bank regulates most of these fees (other than the payment service provider fees) and its October changes aim to bring down those costs.

(These changes won’t apply to American Express cards or “buy-now pay-later” like Afterpay, which will be looked at in a separate public consultuation starting in mid-2026.)

What’s changing from October

From October 2026, surcharges on most debit and credit card transactions will be banned.

Interchange fees paid to banks will be capped below their current levels. For credit cards, those fees will drop from 0.8% to 0.3%.

And for debit cards, the fee will drop from the current rate of either 10 cents or 0.2%, down to either 8 cents or 0.16% (whichever is lower).

That’s expected to cost banks an estimated $660 million a year.

The Reserve Bank (RBA) decision was based on a clear principle: what the price tag says should be what the customer pays, regardless of how they choose to pay.

The RBA said they were responding to “strong feedback” from a public survey, which found three-quarters (76%) of people wanted surcharges to end.

Which consumers look set to pay more

The RBA estimates a surprisingly low share of merchants – just 16% in 2024/25 – add surcharges for card payments. But that’s doubled since 2022, making it harder for consumers to avoid unexpected, costly surcharges.

The central bank acknowledges that from October, businesses that have had surcharges “may increase their advertised prices to cover the cost of accepting card payments”. But it expects those price rises “to be negligible”.

In practice, the RBA is saying that if you pay a card surcharge at your local cafe today, expect its prices to rise slightly in October, once surcharges are banned. If you always pay by credit card now, you might not notice any difference then.

But if you’re in the minority of Australians who pay with cash, or insert a debit card into the eftpos machine to pay lower surcharges, you could end up paying slightly more at some businesses from October than you do now.

The Australian Restaurant and Cafe Association has said:

We expect menu prices will increase on October 1 and for any business that does not pass costs on, their profit will drop. Consumers will now pay $5.10 for a coffee that used to cost them $5.08, and the biggest losers are cash payers.

Australian banks have also said they may have to make up their losses with higher card fees, higher rates or shorter interest-free periods.

Lessons from overseas

The European Union and United Kingdom banned card surcharges back in 2018, arguing it would save consumers money and avoid nasty surprises at the checkout.

Past studies from the Netherlands showed that when extra card fees are removed, people are more likely to pay by card. Widely-cited research by economists David Evans and Richard Schmalensee explains that in payment systems, when pricing changes like this, the costs don’t disappear – they just move around.

The real lesson from what the EU has done is that beyond banning surcharges, you also need to give people better options to avoid card payments completely.

Other countries like India, China, Brazil and Singapore have already made it easier to pay without a card than Australia.

Hard choices for smaller businesses

The RBA’s move to cap interchange fees should ease some cost impacts, both for consumers and for business. The RBA estimates businesses will save $910 million through lower interchange fees.

For larger businesses, the new interchange cap is largely beside the point. Their transaction volumes already gave them the leverage to negotiate rates directly with card networks – well below the ceiling the RBA has now set.

According to the RBA, 89% of large businesses are not surcharging customers now.

The RBA says most small businesses will be better off from October, as 85% of small merchants don’t add a surcharge now.

For smaller businesses that have had surcharges – like a local pharmacy or independent grocer – the good news is their overall card fees will now be lower. But they won’t vanish entirely.

That leaves them with limited choices: absorb a hit to margins, or lift prices.

What to expect in October

From October, paying by card will feel cleaner. One price, no additions. That will feel like a genuine improvement.

But a simpler checkout is not necessarily the same as a cheaper one.

Whether shopping actually becomes less expensive is a different question – partly depending on whether you’re someone who’s been avoiding surcharges by paying with cash, but also on how banks and businesses respond by raising other prices.

– ref. Banning card surcharges will make paying simpler – but not necessarily cheaper – https://theconversation.com/banning-card-surcharges-will-make-paying-simpler-but-not-necessarily-cheaper-279662

Wellington apartment building evacuated due to gas leak

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Hazardous Materials appliances were at the scene and crews were also working to isolate the gas supply to the building (file image). RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

An apartment building in central Wellington has been evacuated due to a gas leak.

Fire crews were called to the two story building on Pirie Street at the base of Mount Victoria at about 3.05pm.

Fire and Emergency duty manager Murray Dunbar said fire crews detected gas in the foyer and stair well of the building and were attempting to locate the source of the leak with gas detecting meters.

Hazardous Materials appliances were at the scene and crews were also working to isolate the gas supply to the building.

There are no reports of injuries at this stage.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 1, 2026

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 1, 2026.

Trump underestimated Iran’s resilience. Now there is only one way out of the war
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Australian National University; The University of Western Australia; Victoria University For all their claims of military success in their war with Iran, the United States and Israel have yet to clearly define their rationale for starting the conflict, their

Should the parliament decide if Australia goes to war?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Townsend, Lecturer in War Studies, UNSW Sydney As the war in Iran heads into its second month, the conflict has escalated rapidly. The effects are being felt around the world, and there is no clear sign of it ending. So far, the Australian government has said

How museums can remember war while honouring civilian trauma and resistance
COMMENTARY: By Audrey van Ryn Museums around the world present the story of war in different ways. The Imperial War Museum in London includes military history, the Holocaust, women’s roles in the two world wars, wartime artwork and the political issues of the time. This museum records both civilian and military experiences, looking at the

Albanese to address the nation on the Middle East war and fuel crisis
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will address the nation at 7pm Wednesday night on the Middle East war, the fuel crisis and the government’s response to it, and what Australians can do in response. In his pre-Easter address, which will be

Australia is tightening the rules on children’s privacy – here’s how it will work
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University Australia’s privacy laws have been woefully out of date for a long time – not fit to address the realities of the digital world. As part of the long overdue update, the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act in

Alpha males, Harry Styles, and going mad with desire: what to watch in April
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Damien O’Meara, Lecturer, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University This month’s streaming slate is packed with bold, conversation-starting TV, from an expose of the toxic manosphere, to a Netflix comedy featuring a very horny Rachel Weisz. If you’re feeling nostalgic, there’s even an old classic from

How your health (and genetic results) affects your life, travel and health insurance
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Tiller, Ethical, Legal & Social Adviser in Public Health Genomics, Monash University The Australian parliament is set to pass legislation today to ban life insurers from using genetic test results to discriminate against people applying for life insurance. Once the law comes into effect in about

Why Trump’s ‘fantasy’ obsession with Kharg Island may lead to disaster
COMMENTARY: By Lim Tean US President Donald Trump has been obsessed with seizing Iran’s Kharg Island for more than 35 years — way before he became a politician. In 1990, he wrote in an American newspaper that the United States should seize Kharg. Trump thinks that by seizing Kharg, he would get hold of Iranian

Australians lost $2 billion to scams – and are still waiting for new anti-scam measures to take effect
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohiuddin Ahmed, Associate Professor in Cyber Security, Adelaide University Australians lost more than A$2 billion to scams in 2025, new figures from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) show. This was a 7.8% increase compared to 2024. And it’s in spite of the fact the federal

What we’ve learned from citizen science: 5 projects that made a difference
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Signe Dean, Science + Technology Editor, The Conversation Scientists can’t be everywhere all at once, as much as they’d like to. Many of the problems citizen science helps solve are concerned with spreading the net wider – or getting more helping hands on the task. Biosecurity managers

A high-risk bird flu strain is circling the globe. How prepared is NZ?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jemma Geoghegan, Professor and Webster Family Chair in Viral Pathogenesis, University of Otago Highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1 – particularly the 2.3.4.4b lineage – has transformed the global disease landscape over recent years. What was once largely a poultry disease causing occasional severe illness in humans

Peaky Blinders The Immortal Man: why mythic figures like Tommy Shelby continue to captivate us
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adriana Marin, Lecturer in International Relations, Coventry University Tommy Shelby returns in Netflix’s new Peaky Blinders film, The Immortal Man, a figure defined by control, composure and calculated violence. He navigates risk, trauma and conflict with an almost unnatural endurance. No matter the pressure, he adapts, survives

Why has it taken so long to return to the Moon?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Domenico Vicinanza, Associate Professor of Intelligent Systems and Data Science, Anglia Ruskin University At 13:24:59 Central Standard Time on December 19 1972, the Apollo 17 command module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, about 350 nautical miles south-east of Samoa, concluding the last mission to the Moon.

The Emperor’s New Clothes – a fairy tale for our times?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Welsh-Burke, Sessional Academic in Literary and Cultural Studies, Western Sydney University In mid-March, an activist group in Rutland County, Vermont, held its usual weekly rally protesting the actions of US president Donald Trump. One protester, Marsha Cassel, led the crowd, dressed as a naked Trump wearing

Jane Ward Tost was a trailblazer in natural sciences – until history forgot her
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Melville, Senior Curator, Terrestrial Vertebrates, Museums Victoria Research Institute In the 19th century, natural history was a field dominated by men: collectors, curators and naturalists. Names such as John Gould and John James Audubon are well known for their contributions to ornithology. Far less familiar is

How Taiwan is viewing the Iran war – and what it reveals about US credibility
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bonnie Yushih Liao, Assistant Professor of Diplomacy & International Relations, Tamkang University The United States and Israeli strikes on Iran have become increasingly concerning for the world due to the risks of further escalation and the impact on energy markets. In Taiwan, however, the focus has shifted

I’m close to retirement age. What are my options for drawing on my super savings?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Di Johnson, Senior Lecturer, Finance and Financial Planning, Griffith University Retiring well means making a series of decisions to ensure a financially secure post-work life. One practical step is to work out the income you need each week to survive and thrive when you stop working. If

Will medicinal cannabis help my mental health? Here are the evidence and the risks
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Suzanne Nielsen, Professor and Deputy Director, Monash Addiction Research Centre, Monash University Anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are among the most common mental health conditions for which Australians are prescribed medicinal cannabis. Most prescriptions for mental health conditions, and for other conditions more broadly, are

Cutting fuel excise is a sugar hit – we need a plan to slash dependence on imports
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hussein Dia, Professor of Transport Technology and Sustainability, Swinburne University of Technology As fuel prices spike, many Australians are understandably anxious. Photos of empty bowsers, long queues, and high prices create the impression of a system under strain. What we are seeing isn’t a collapse of Australia’s

From spaghetti harvests to fake news: why the glory days of April Fools gags are over
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Hart, Associate Professor, Film Screen & Animation, Queensland University of Technology April Fools’ Day is a funny one. Developed over centuries, it’s a tradition that gives people the permission to prank. Some leg-pulls are delightful – while others can cause distress and damage, especially if they’re

Landmark contracts for Super Rugby Aupiki

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Maama Vaipulu is one of three Blues players to secure three year contracts. photosport

In a first for Super Rugby Aupiki, a trio of players have been signed to long-term contracts.

Blues players Tara Turner, Maama Vaipulu, and Jaymie Kolose have all signed on with the franchise through to the end of the 2028.

All three debuted together in 2023 and have since been called up for national duties.

Blues head coach Willie Walker said the signings represent a defining moment for the programme.

“This is huge for our club and for women’s rugby in Aotearoa. Securing Tara, Maama, and Jaymie for the next three years gives us a strong core to build around. These are players who not only perform at the highest level but drive standards every day,” Walker said.

Turner is the most recent name to earn a black jersey, named in Whitney Hansen’s first squad of the year while Vaipulu made her Black Ferns debut in 2024, Kolose having represented the Black Ferns Sevens last year.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Trump underestimated Iran’s resilience. Now there is only one way out of the war

By The Conversation -

April 1, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern Studies, Australian National University; The University of Western Australia; Victoria University

For all their claims of military success in their war with Iran, the United States and Israel have yet to clearly define their rationale for starting the conflict, their goals and their exit strategy.

With the Iranian regime having mounted a robust response, the Middle East has been plunged into an unnecessary confrontation with no end in sight.

When US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started this war a month ago, they didn’t have a clear understanding of the nature of the Iranian regime and its defensive capability.

They didn’t expect Tehran to counter their offensives with an unprecedented level of preparedness, striking US bases across the Persian Gulf and hitting Israel hard.

Nor did they anticipate Tehran would close the Strait of Hormuz, partially or fully, to cause a shortage of oil and gas with severe consequences for the global economy.

Driven by an embrace of military power, they acted on a belief that American and Israeli might from the air and sea would force the Islamic government to quickly capitulate, enabling the Iranian people to instigate a favourable regime change – something that has not transpired.

With a military victory now looking increasingly elusive, Trump will need to pivot to a diplomatic solution – and force Netanyahu to comply.

Why Iran has proven so resilient

Prior to the war, the Islamic government was under enormous domestic pressure and international criticism for its suppression of widespread public protests that left thousands of Iranians dead.

The regime was also struggling to come to terms with Israel’s degradation of its regional affiliates, Hamas and Hezbollah in particular, not to mention the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s dictatorship in Syria.

While distrustful of Trump, it felt compelled to enter into negotiations with the US once more for a viable settlement of its controversial nuclear program. In late February, the chief mediator, the Omani foreign minister, said a deal was within reach.

When the US and Israel attacked instead, it gave the Islamic government a different sort of opportunity: it could demonstrate the resilience it had spent decades building.

Iran’s system of authority, governance and security was structured to withstand the loss of its leaders and commanders. The regime had shown this in the 1980s in the face of stiff internal opposition, the eight-year war with Iraq, US efforts to contain it and regional hostility.

The Islamic government has also managed to survive despite its theocratic impositions, frequent public uprisings and domestic and foreign policy shortfalls. The reasons for this include:

the belief of many Shia Muslims in revolutionary Islamism
its combination of ideological rigidity and pragmatic flexibility, and
a dedicated and entrenched security, intelligence and administrative apparatus whose survival is dependent on the regime’s survival.

While many Iranians have wanted to see the back of the Islamic government, most are still very proud of their cultural and civilisational heritage. They don’t like to see Iran being subjected to outside aggression, destruction and humiliation.

An Iranian man holds a cartoon of US President Donald Trump in Tehran. Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA

A war of endurance

This explains why many Iranians have rallied around the flag, as they have historically done against outside aggression.

Knowing it cannot match the firepower of the US and Israel, the Islamic government has shown ingenuity in creating a “mosaic defence” strategy of asymmetrical warfare. This entails adapting and responding to US military weaknesses (for instance, by targeting US bases in Persian Gulf countries with drones and missiles) and decentralising its command structure so leaders can quickly be replaced when they are killed.

The regime has been assisted by Russia and China with supplies of dual-use technologies and revenue from oil imports. Russia has also reportedly been giving Iran intelligence on the location of US assets in the region.

And although Iran’s regional affiliates have been degraded, they are still capable of backing the Islamic Republic in the conflict. Both Hezbollah and the Yemeni Houthis have entered the war by targeting Israel. The Houthis may also attempt to disrupt shipping through the Red Sea.

In short, the Iranian government is resolved to deny the US and Israel a victory at all costs. Given this, the conflict has become a war of endurance.

A deal is the only way out

How long the US, Israel and Iran stay in the fight is a matter of conjecture. However, as the situation stands, the space for a diplomatic resolution has very much tightened. Iran has not shown a desire to back down, and the US and Israel are not united in their goals.

Trump may eventually settle for a deal on Iran’s nuclear program and a potential reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, given the costs of the war and his falling poll numbers in a year of mid-term elections.

But Netanyahu seems adamant in his pursuit. He wants to destroy the Islamic government and weaken the Iranian state as a regional actor.

What is increasingly clear is the war is unlikely to end by military means. The only way forward is a negotiated settlement. The onus will therefore fall on Trump to pull Netanyahu into line and take the lead on trying to strike a deal.

Some analysts have already concluded that no matter how the war ends, Iran is prevailing.

– ref. Trump underestimated Iran’s resilience. Now there is only one way out of the war – https://theconversation.com/trump-underestimated-irans-resilience-now-there-is-only-one-way-out-of-the-war-279667

Should the parliament decide if Australia goes to war?

By The Conversation -

April 1, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicole Townsend, Lecturer in War Studies, UNSW Sydney

As the war in Iran heads into its second month, the conflict has escalated rapidly. The effects are being felt around the world, and there is no clear sign of it ending.

So far, the Australian government has said it will not commit troops to the conflict.

But if it were to take such a step in the future, what would that involve?

Australian involvement in the conflict

Iran responded to US-Israeli airstrikes by lashing out against its regional neighbours in the Gulf. Gulf states requested military assistance to defend against Iranian attacks, and the Albanese government agreed to provide air-to-air missiles, a surveillance aircraft, and 85 supporting personnel.

The government has carefully emphasised the defensive character of its commitment, in line with the right to collective self-defence outlined in Article 51 of the UN Charter.

Still, legal experts have pointed out that the distinction between defensive and offensive operations means little. Australia is involved in the conflict, even if it does not partake in offensive operations against Iran.

But if we do go to war, how does it happen?

If the Australian government decides to commit troops to the war, it will not need to consult parliament before doing so.

Australia’s war powers provisions are quite detailed. But, simply put, there are two key documents that determine who exercises war powers in Australia.

The first is the Constitution, which gives war powers to the governor-general as commander-in-chief of the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

The second is the Defence Act 1903, which gives the defence minister the power to direct the ADF.

In both, war powers are the prerogative of the executive, the branch of government that puts the law into action. The executive comprises the king (who is represented by the governor-general), the prime minister, and their ministers.

In practice, the National Security Committee of Cabinet (NSC) specifically exercises this power. The NSC deals with the “highest-priority, highest-risk and most strategic national security matters of the day”.

NSC decisions do not need to be endorsed by the broader Cabinet, and the executive is not required to consult parliament first. It must, however, inform parliament and facilitate debate as early as possible.

The process is similar in other Commonwealth nations, including New Zealand and Canada.

The situation in the United States is different. The US constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, but the president is commander-in-chief of the armed forces. Essentially, Congress initiates war, and the president directs the armed forces once authorised by Congress.

In practice, many presidents have deployed troops without Congress’ approval, including in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. This led Congress to pass the War Powers Resolution in 1973 to curb presidential war powers. Presidents continued to commit troops without congressional approval, and Congress has proven less willing or able to assert authority in these situations.

Responding to the current conflict, Congress debated President Donald Trump’s authority to attack Iran, but efforts by Democrats and some Republicans failed, as they had in the aftermath of recent US operations in Venezuela.

Proposals for reform in Australia

Since 1985, numerous bills have been introduced in the Senate. All sought to limit executive war powers by requiring parliamentary approval to deploy the ADF in war or warlike operations. None succeeded.

While Defence Minister Richard Marles ordered a parliamentary inquiry into war powers in 2022, he told the committee the decision to commit troops to war was “within the prerogative powers of the executive” and should remain so. Ultimately, the inquiry affirmed the executive authority of prime minister and Cabinet to decide on matters of war. It also rejected the introduction of a parliamentary veto.

This has not stopped the Greens from again calling for war powers reform amid the Iran conflict.

The Greens want the execution of war powers to be contingent on a vote in both houses of parliament – and they say public opinion is on their side. So, what do Australians think about the issue?

What do Australians think?

A national poll by Essential Research in April 2023 found 90% of those surveyed thought parliamentary approval should be required to go to war. This is the figure the Greens have cited in their current bid for reform.

Last year, the War Studies Research Group asked Australians what they thought about war powers as part of a larger national survey on public attitudes towards the ADF. The survey involved 1,500 people and was conducted from late February to early March 2025 as part of our work to measure public attitudes towards the ADF.

Overall, 76% of respondents agreed the government should always be required to consult parliament before committing the ADF to war. Of those, 37% strongly agreed, while less than 5% disagreed.

Notably, the survey indicated a remarkable consensus across Australia. 70% or more of almost all demographic cohorts supported parliamentary involvement. This included gender, age, location, income, education, military background, and nationality.

Majority agreement also held across political preference lines, with highest approval levels among respondents who voted Labor (81%) and Independent (82%).

Where to from here?

Despite the Greens’ efforts and broad public support for war powers reform, the major parties have favoured the status quo and will continue to do so.

As Labor Senator Raffaele Ciccone informed the Senate last week:

The Albanese government supports the continuation of current arrangements that govern the deployment of the Australian Defence Force to overseas engagements.

While the government remains committed to keeping the parliament updated on matters of war, it is unlikely war powers reform will occur.

– ref. Should the parliament decide if Australia goes to war? – https://theconversation.com/should-the-parliament-decide-if-australia-goes-to-war-279446

Karla Epiha sentenced after running over child on pedestrian crossing

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Karla Epiha was sentenced in Christchurch District Court after earlier pleading guilty to two counts of careless driving causing injury. Anna Sargent / RNZ

A woman who ran over a child on a Christchurch pedestrian crossing broke down in court as she was sentenced for careless driving.

The boy was critically injured and it took 10 people to lift Karla Epiha’s car off the 8-year-old on 24 May, 2025.

Judge Mark Callaghan sentenced Epiha to 12 months’ intensive supervision and disqualified her from driving for 10 months.

Epiha earlier pleaded guilty to two counts of careless driving causing injury – one for hitting the boy and the other relating to a woman.

The summary of facts said the 8-year-old boy, a 35-year-old woman and a 5-year-old boy pulling a 3-year-old boy in a trolley were crossing Hereford Street under a green pedestrian light.

Epiha turned onto the street and drove her car into the older boy, the woman and the trolley.

The 8-year-old landed on the car’s bonnet before falling backwards onto the road. The vehicle continued to move forward and stopped on him, leaving him trapped underneath.

“Ten members of the public were required to lift the vehicle,” Judge Callaghan said. “He suffered a fractured pelvis, fractured ribs and a head wound which required a skin graft.”

The woman was hit by the front of the vehicle and fell to the side of the car. She suffered a concussion and a split head.

Epiha claimed she had only seen the 5-year-old boy crossing the road when she turned.

She was visibly emotional during her sentencing in the Christchurch District Court on Wednesday, at times dabbing her eyes with tissues.

Judge Callaghan read a victim impact statement from the 35-year-old woman, who said her emotional and physical health had been significantly affected by the crash.

“The concussion has created vertigo, which has now settled; it’s also created regular migraines, which are still happening,” Callaghan said.

“She has ongoing neck pain. Since the crash she has difficulty with flashing lights and the wound on her head has been very slow to heal. She’s lost her ability to pick up things, particularly her child.

“She’s having difficulty remembering things and feels like she has ‘baby brain’ again. She has been diagnosed with moderate depression, she has become more isolated with a developed fear of walking anywhere.”

The woman’s 5-year-old son, who witnessed the crash, now had significant fears about crossing the road and had been hypervigilant with safety, he said.

Judge Callaghan said Epiha was not paying attention when she was driving.

“Your counsel has said that the carelessness is at the low level of the scale. I don’t agree. The carelessness here is at least at a moderate level – it’s not one where you accelerated harshly or at speed, but you just didn’t check,” he said.

“The two pedestrians that you collided with were entitled to be on the crossing, they had the green light and you failed to check, and your lack of attention in my view places it in that moderate category.”

The judge accepted Epiha was genuinely remorseful for the crash.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

How museums can remember war while honouring civilian trauma and resistance

By Asia Pacific Report -

April 1, 2026

COMMENTARY: By Audrey van Ryn

Museums around the world present the story of war in different ways. The Imperial War Museum in London includes military history, the Holocaust, women’s roles in the two world wars, wartime artwork and the political issues of the time.

This museum records both civilian and military experiences, looking at the impact of war on people’s lives. Its Crimes Against Humanity section has a continuous film about genocide and ethnic violence in our time.

The Dutch Resistance Museum in Amsterdam focuses on the Dutch experience during the occupation of the Netherlands by Nazi Germany during World War Two, and features personal stories of those who lived during that period.

National museums in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh musealise the memory of the 1947 Partition in different, selective ways, with oral history, survivor testimonies, and personal artefacts to document the displacement and trauma of the subcontinent’s division.

How does our own war museum remember war?

Visitors to Auckland’s War Memorial Museum find that the top floor is dedicated to the memory of New Zealand soldiers killed in World Wars One and Two.

The WWI Hall of Memories contains a sanctuary, used for commemoration. In this space are medals and badges of units in which men and women from the Auckland Province served, and British badges that acknowledge those who joined British units.

Roll of honour
In the WWII Hall of Memories, carved into marble is the permanent roll of honour of men and women from the Auckland Province who died in both World Wars, and in Korea, Malaya, Borneo and Vietnam.

The Scars on the Heart exhibition covers New Zealand’s civil wars of the 1840s and 1860s, the Anglo-Boer War, the First and Second World Wars, the Asian wars and New Zealand’s involvement in United Nations peacekeeping missions. Items on display include letters, diaries, photos, clothing and firearms.

There is a recreation of a bivouac shelter at Gallipoli and a Western Front trench from WWI.

Nagasaki bomb victims in 1945 . . . vital evidence of civilian war trauma now no longer on display at Auckland Museum. Image: Screenshot

This year, the greatest number of active armed conflicts since the end of the Second World War is taking place. The Doomsday Clock was set at 85 seconds to midnight on January 27 — the closest it has ever been to midnight.

Funding for nuclear weapons programmes is increasing and the New START treaty, the nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and Russia has expired, with US President Donald Trump having no interest in renewing arms limitation agreements.

Remembering the destructive and tragic consequences of war should be central to the role of museums in their telling of stories about war. However, unfortunately, around the same time as the recent removal of asbestos from the museum, some of these vital stories have been removed.

They include evidence of civilian war trauma installed in the 1990s by then head curator Lieutenant-Colonel Chris Pugsley to show impacts of war on civilians. Another removal has been the 1968 “Letter from a Vietnam Hospital” by the New Zealand surgeon and surgical team leader in Vietnam, Dr Peter Eccles-Smith, and a photo of a woman and a child who were victims of the Nagasaki atomic bomb in 1945.

No record of NZ nuclear protests
There is also no longer any text or photos showing New Zealand’s official protests against French nuclear testing at Moruroa Atoll in the South Pacific.

In addition to the reinstatement of these particular items, a more encompassing telling of stories about war at Auckland Museum than at present could include the portrayal of New Zealand’s resistance to international wars, the work of civilian and army medical personnel, photos of injured soldiers and civilians, photos and placards of anti-war demonstrators, stories of conscientious objectors, portrayals of victims of the atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and photos and stories about the nuclear-free movement in NZ and the Pacific, including the fateful journey of Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior across Oceania into Auckland Harbour.

Auckland Museum’s 2025 plan included “Enabling commemoration opportunities to reflect the community while exploring themes of conflict and peace; and commitment to broadening our commemorative narrative to be inclusive of diverse experiences and events relevant to our communities.”

This year is 30 years since the International Court of Justice declared that the threat or use of nuclear weapons would generally contradict international law. Next year, 2027, will be the 40th anniversary of NZ’s nuclear-free legislation, a fitting time for Auckland Museum to launch an exhibition that could include NZ’s official and civil society opposition to nuclear weapons.

Veteran peace activists hope to forge a constructive working relationship with Auckland Museum to help portray people’s experience of war more fully, and create a peace gallery to tell the story of NZ’s peace history.

Audrey van Ryn is a peace activist and writer. In 2009, she created the Auckland Peace Heritage Walk on behalf of the United Nations Association of NZ. She is currently secretary of Community Groups Feeding the Homeless.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

How cocaine use has skyrocketed to an all-time high in New Zealand – and why

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cocaine use in New Zealand has nearly doubled in just a year, according to new figures. 123rf

Explainer – Cocaine isn’t cheap, but its use is skyrocketing in New Zealand according to new figures. What’s driving the snowstorm?

Until relatively recently, cocaine was somewhat of a rarity in New Zealand, explained Massey University professor Chris Wilkins, leader of the drug research team at SHORE & Whariki Research Centre.

“In those times that you most associate with cocaine in the ’80s and ’90s, New Zealand really didn’t have almost any cocaine,” he said.

Our geographical and trade isolation shielded New Zealand when cocaine had its big cultural moment in those decades.

But things have changed – a global glut has now led to a surge in demand in New Zealand.

Police recently released wastewater testing figures that showed cocaine use has hit an all-time high.

The latest wastewater figures were collected between October and December 2025, and testing sites cover up to 77 percent of Aotearoa’s total population.

The testing calculates drug use from the concentration of each drug’s biomarker detected in the water and reflects the amount of pure drug being consumed, the National Drug Intelligence Bureau says.

The figures showed methamphetamine use continues to be high, averaging about 34.7kg per week.

But it’s cocaine that showed the biggest proportional jump of all.

“We are seen as a lucrative albeit small market” for cocaine dealers, said Sarah Helm, executive director of the New Zealand Drug Foundation.

So how much more cocaine are we using?

While cocaine use is still less overall than methamphetamine or cannabis, it’s the size of the rise that has drawn attention.

Cocaine nearly doubled in a year, rising to an estimated 9.4kg of use per week – 98 percent, or 4.7kg, above the average amount consumed the previous four quarters.

That’s a lot of cocaine.

Part of this is simply because there’s a lot more of it out there.

“From the global level, there’s been a real glut in coca production,” Wilkins said. Cocaine comes from the leaves of the coca plant and is primarily produced in South American countries like Colombia, Peru and Bolivia.

But there’s another reason for the rise.

In New Zealand, cocaine has sniffed out an image that it is somehow safer and hipper than methamphetamine or other drugs. Iconic images like Al Pacino’s cocaine kingpin in Scarface and white powder hitting the dance floors in American pop culture mostly passed Aotearoa by in the 1980s.

“It was (seen as) a very exotic drug,” Wilkins said. “Of course, it was associated with that kind of Hollywood glamour.”

“Cocaine I think at the moment is presenting itself as a kind of cleaner, healthy, more manageable drug, and that’s basically driving demand at the moment.”

Supplied / NZ Drug Foundation

NZ Police Assistant Commissioner Corrie Parnell told RNZ that there’s a “strong demand” for cocaine.

The New Zealand Drug Trends Survey is an anonymous online survey of 8883 people conducted in 2025 designed to provide an annual snapshot of drug market trends. It’s not a representative sample but it’s described as “broadly representing the demographic profile and regional population distribution” of New Zealand.

And what it’s got to say about cocaine use backs up the wastewater figures.

The number of those surveyed saying cocaine was “easy” to get jumped from 17 percent in 2018-19 to 43 percent in 2025, while the proportion of those using cocaine at least weekly increased from 6 percent to 10 percent over the same period.

Just 23 percent of respondents to the survey said they’d used cocaine in the last six months – but that’s higher than pretty much every other type of illegal drug other than cannabis (69 percent) and MDMA (35 percent), and far higher than meth (11 percent).

The Drug Use in Aotearoa 2023/24 Report released last year also backed up the steady rise – just an estimated 1kg per week of cocaine was consumed by New Zealanders in 2019, compared to the more than 9kg estimated in the new wastewater figures.

Is it because it’s cheap?

Just the opposite, actually. New Zealanders pay some of the highest prices for cocaine in the world.

The average price per gram of cocaine was $360 a gram, according to the drug trends survey, just above meth at $334/gram and far more than MDMA or ketamine.

“The growth of the cocaine market has occurred over the space of a few years and has largely occurred without significant reductions in street level pricing,” Parnell said.

“This indicates strong demand for cocaine, as dealers are able to offload increased quantities without dropping the price.”

Supplied / Massey University

Who’s using all this cocaine?

The New Zealand Drug Trends Survey carried some surprises.

Respondents who said they’d used cocaine in the past six months were overwhelmingly European (74 percent), male (66 percent) and financially pretty well off.

Seventy-nine percent of those surveyed worked full or part time, and 42 percent of them made more than $80,000 a year.

“It’s kind of like almost a sign of affluence and status in New Zealand just because it’s so exotic,” Wilkins said.

“The affluent association with cocaine kind of presents this veneer that it’s a high-end drug and that it can be used quite manageably. But if you do go to North America and Europe, there’s pretty clearly a lot of people that have problems.”

Cocaine use has particularly skyrocketed in Auckland, Wellington and the Bay of Plenty, police said.

Supplied / NZ Police

Is this just specific to New Zealand?

“New Zealand continues to be an attractive market for organised criminal groups to supply drugs due to the high profit margins,” Parnell said.

“New Zealand and Australia continue to have the highest prices for illicit drugs in the world. As is the case globally, there is a large supply, consumption is high and pricing is stable.”

But cocaine is booming worldwide – the United Nations’ World Drug Report 2025 said cocaine was the world’s fastest growing illicit drug market. It said cocaine use grew from 17 million users in 2013 to 25 million users in 2023.

“Police have seen an increase in large volumes of cocaine seized” with police and Customs Service operations, Parnell said.

“The increase in supply is part of a global trend and has been driven by record levels of coca cultivation, increasingly efficient methods of cocaine production, and diversification of supply chains into New Zealand,” Helm said.

“In an unregulated black market, we are at the mercy of these global changes that can alter our drug supply very quickly.”

Cocaine traffickers are breaking into new markets across Asia and Africa, the UN report notes.

“The vicious violence and competition characterising the illicit cocaine arena, once confined to Latin America, is now spreading to Western Europe,” it said.

Global instability is “empowering organised crime groups and pushing drug use to historically high levels,” the UN noted.

“The glut of supply means that cocaine is being pushed into countries that haven’t had much presence of cocaine before,” Helm said.

Supplied / NZ Police

Is cocaine truly as dangerous as other drugs?

“New Zealand culture is kind of cocaine naive … in that it has probably an exaggerated or inflated perception as a harm-free drug and a better alternative to methamphetamine,” Wilkins said.

New Zealand has had three decades to see how methamphetamine use causes harm that is “pretty cemented in the public culture,” he said.

“It looks risk free, but there’s really serious problems with cocaine related to short-term effects in terms of agitation and violence and sometimes psychosis by heavy users, and also the longer term effects on cardiovascular health and things like that.”

Like any other drug, cocaine carries risks, Helm said.

“Cocaine carries a higher risk of addiction and harm than some other drugs that New Zealanders may be used to, like MDMA, so we are concerned that the community may be less aware about what to look out for to stay safer.

“For example, mixing cocaine and alcohol can be risky as they combine to make a substance called cocaethylene, that can put more strain on your body, particularly your heart.

“Moreover, some substances like cocaine have a ‘compulsive redosing effect’, where the person taking it has an increased urge to consume more. This, coupled with its short-lived effects, adds to the risk of addiction.”

Police said that cocaine use across sample wastewater sites in the last quarter of 2025 would equate to an estimated weekly social harm cost of $3.5 million, as calculated by the New Zealand Illicit Drug Harm Index.

People need to be informed and seek out information about the health risks, Wilkins said.

“At the moment now (cocaine) is kind of in this honeymoon phase,” meaning it’s harder to communicate any dangers in a credible way, as people often rely on information from their peers and there hasn’t been as much negative experience with cocaine here.

“In terms of harm, it’s a lot to do with how frequently you’re using and how much you’re using it,” he added.

“If you’re just using a drug once a month, once every six months, the risk of you having problems is much lower than weekly or daily use.”

People should also keep in mind what their underlying risks are, in terms of health conditions and their mental health.

How you use cocaine is also a factor in the harm it can cause, Wilkins said.

“Nasal use has physical issues, but it’s probably the low risk option, whereas smoking cocaine, of course, crack, really changed the image of cocaine in North America and other places.”

Smoking or injecting cocaine are “extremely high risks,” he said.

“If people plan to use cocaine, we’d advise visiting thelevel.org.nz for tips on how to stay safer,” Helm said.

Thirty-three kilograms of cocaine were seized at the Port of Tauranga. Supplied NZ Customs

So what is New Zealand doing about all this cocaine?

Parnell said police are focused daily on enforcement of drug laws.

“Our message to the community is that we can all play a part in reducing the social harm and misery that drugs cause by reporting any suspicious activity or information which may help us to stop those involved in these types of crimes.”

Large shipments of cocaine have been seized at ports and Operation Matata, a joint Customs/police operation, targeted a syndicate smuggling drugs through unattended baggage at Auckland Airport.

“This operation resulted in eight associates from the TwoEight Brotherhood arrested. Twenty consignments of methamphetamine and cocaine were seized, weighing 630 kilograms and 112 kilograms respectively,” Parnell said.

There have also been massive cocaine seizures intercepted in the Pacific by other nations.

French armed forces seized five tonnes of cocaine from a vessel, which was said to be bound for Australia. ABC/Facebook: Haut-commissaire de la République en Polynésie française

Parnell said police are working with many agencies and community groups to tackle the drug problem.

“One initiative to break the cycle of harm is the Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities (ROCC) programme, a collaborative, community-led initiative designed to address the social conditions that enable organised crime,” he said. “The programme recognises that enforcement alone is not enough.”

The drug foundation has also called for a “fundamental shift” in drug policies.

Helm said that current laws aren’t doing the job.

“For the past 50 years, New Zealand’s approach has been to focus heavily on banning the drug and then undertaking supply busts and criminalising people for using drugs, but this is clearly not working,” she said.

“Across every measure, this approach has been a failure – not only has drug use continued to grow and diversify, but addiction has increased, overdoses now claim three lives a week, and more new potent drugs are entering the market.

There needs to be more investment in help and harm reduction, she said, and the foundation has also issued a report calling for changes to drug laws.

“We need to learn from the evidence and stop making the same mistakes,” Helm said.

She said other countries can also lead the way.

Two decades ago, Portugal removed criminal penalties for drug use and increased their investment into health and harm reduction,” she said, as a result overdose death rates fell and pressure on the justice system eased without an increase in drug use.

“No one has all the answers on solving drug issues, but it’s very clear that our current approach is not it.”

Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey recently told RNZ it was “incredibly important for the health system to step up and respond to the harm caused by drugs”.

The Ministry of Health has put forth a four-year action plan to reduce addiction.

Doocey said the government had no intention of liberalising drug laws.

“Our focus is on strengthening prevention, reducing overdose harm, and improving access to treatment and recovery support.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Albanese to address the nation on the Middle East war and fuel crisis

By The Conversation -

April 1, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will address the nation at 7pm Wednesday night on the Middle East war, the fuel crisis and the government’s response to it, and what Australians can do in response.

In his pre-Easter address, which will be carried by all television channels, Albanese’s message to the public will be that it should be business-as-usual over the holiday period.

Prime ministerial addresses-to-the-nation are rare but have been used during COVID and the Global Financial Crisis.

United States President Donald Trump will address the American people on Thursday Australian time.

In a fresh government announcement in response to the fuel crisis, small businesses hit by fuel issues will get more flexibility with their tax obligations.

Treasurer Jim Chalmers said businesses unable to meet their tax obligations because of fuel supply problems will be able to receive temporary relief from the Australian Taxation Office.

This will include more generous payment plans, remission of interest and penalties, and support in varying PAYG instalments where taxable income has turned down.

The tax office will also limit some compliance action for the worst affected industries. Some debt collection may also be paused.

To help small business access credit more easily and faster, the Small Business Responsible Lending Obligation exemption will be extended for another ten years.

This obligation requires lenders to make rigorous checks of borrowers’ financial situation to ensure that the loan is not unsuitable. During COVID small businesses were accorded an exemption. This was due to run out in October.

The government said the extension would “ensure small businesses aren’t slugged with additional regulatory burdens and delays when accessing loans”.

Chalmers announced the changes at a news conference with representatives of big business, small business and the banks.

Meanwhile the federal government is still waiting for the states to sort out arrangements relating to the extra GST revenue they will receive from higher fuel prices.

They agreed at national cabinet on Monday to provide some GST relief but are still working on the detail.

Chalmers told his news conference: “I’m not going to take shots at them. I’m not going to be part of a kind of unseemly brawl about this.”

“But we don’t want to see this drag out for ever. We don’t want to see the states and territories at war over this. We want to see the relief flow to motorists.”

– ref. Albanese to address the nation on the Middle East war and fuel crisis – https://theconversation.com/albanese-to-address-the-nation-on-the-middle-east-war-and-fuel-crisis-279208

Australia is tightening the rules on children’s privacy – here’s how it will work

By The Conversation -

April 1, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Leaver, Professor of Internet Studies, Curtin University

Australia’s privacy laws have been woefully out of date for a long time – not fit to address the realities of the digital world.

As part of the long overdue update, the Privacy and Other Legislation Amendment Act in 2024 directed the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) to develop a code to better protect the privacy of young Australians in the digital world.

This is urgently needed. By the time a child turns 13, around 72 million pieces of data will have been collected about them.

This week, the OAIC published a draft of the Children’s Online Privacy Code, which is now open for public comment.

What’s in the code?

The code’s scope is much wider than just social media. It encompasses most online services, spaces and platforms that children use. Importantly, it also includes services that may contain children’s personal data but are used by adults.

Everything from educational platforms to infant tracking apps will be subject to the code. The best interests of the child are embedded in it, and services will be expected to interpret and implement it.

Data minimisation

This specifies children’s personal data can only be collected by online services where there’s a clear and direct purpose for that collection, and that data should only be kept while it’s necessary to perform that purpose.

Any further data collection requires explicit consent requested in a way that’s age-appropriate for the child.

This ensures platforms only request what’s actually mission critical. The onus is on services to delete that personal data as soon as it’s not needed, to help prevent children’s data being caught up in data breaches.

The right to delete

Where platforms and services hold children’s personal data, children will now have a clear and explicit right to request that data is deleted.

The “right to be forgotten” has been on privacy advocates’ wishlist for decades. It recognises individuals own their own data and should maintain control over it where possible.

Geolocation transparency

When children consent to having their geographic location tracked by digital devices and services, or their parents consent to this on their behalf for those under 15, children regardless of age will be notified when tracking services are sharing that information.

Geolocation data can be particularly tricky, even within families. While some might find location tracking helpful, others view it as intrusive surveillance.

Ensuring it’s at least transparent to children will help ensure they’re active and aware participants in these services.

Age-appropriate explanations

Saying you’ve read an app’s terms of service or privacy policies is one of the most common white lies told.

That’s mostly because these are long, impenetrable, almost unreadable documents. When children are asked to consent to share their data, the code specifies the explanation for this request must be understandable and age-appropriate. If the request is aimed at a child who might be ten, the explanation needs to be clear to the average ten-year-old.

This is vital. Not only does it allow children to make better choices, it also increases their digital literacy as they make meaningful choices about their own data.

As part of this, deceptive design elements that might trick children into sharing personal data are explicitly not allowed.

We can expect pushback from big tech

There will undoubtedly be considerable pushback from big technology platforms about the scope of the code. It seeks to disrupt business as usual, and requires that children’s data is only collected for specific purposes, with explicit consent, and retained for as little time as possible.

That’s the opposite of the “grab and keep as much data for as long as possible” logic that drives most tech companies and platforms today. Big data is still imagined to be the big oil of the digital world. Private, personal data is among its most valued forms. Artificial intelligence companies are even more thirsty for that personal data to train their systems.

We’ll need more digital literacy

For children under 15, the code relies on parental consent. That consent is visible to children, which is important in keeping them informed. However, there’s work to do to equip every parent with the tech literacy they need to make informed choices with their children.

In some cases, children don’t easily have a parent or carer to turn to. For children in the most at-risk and challenging situations, there may be difficulties in ensuring that the consent process really can work in children’s best interest.

In our Manifesto for a Better Children’s Internet, colleagues and I from the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child offer a roadmap for an internet better aligned with children’s needs and experiences.

Crucially, we argue there should be more focus on protecting children within the digital environment, rather than from it.

Maximising children’s opportunities in the digital world means trying to make as many digital spaces available to them, while ensuring those spaces are designed to be as safe and age appropriate as possible.

The Children’s Online Privacy Code is set to make an important contribution in achieving that aim. It recognises children’s right to participation as much as their right to protection.

What happens next?

The OAIC has launched a Privacy for Kids website, which offers age-appropriate explanations of the code for children and adults.

It provides a variety of tools and age-appropriate resources to allow children and adults to offer their thoughts on the draft code. That consultation is open until June 5 this year.

After responding to the public consultation, the final version of the code must go live by December 10 2026.

– ref. Australia is tightening the rules on children’s privacy – here’s how it will work – https://theconversation.com/australia-is-tightening-the-rules-on-childrens-privacy-heres-how-it-will-work-279661

Alpha males, Harry Styles, and going mad with desire: what to watch in April

By The Conversation -

April 1, 2026

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Damien O’Meara, Lecturer, School of Media and Communication, RMIT University

This month’s streaming slate is packed with bold, conversation-starting TV, from an expose of the toxic manosphere, to a Netflix comedy featuring a very horny Rachel Weisz. If you’re feeling nostalgic, there’s even an old classic from French New Wave filmmaker Agnès Varda. So settle in and get watching!

Homebodies

SBS On Demand

When Nora (Claudia Karvan) breaks her leg, her son Darcy (Luke Wiltshire) – a trans man – returns home to see her for the first time since he came out. It doesn’t take long before Darcy realises there’s another presence in his childhood home: a ghost of his younger pre-transition self, Dee (Jazi Hall).

Homebodies gives space for an exploration of the challenging, interpersonal relationship between Darcy and his mother through the haunting of an unresolved rift. Refreshingly, this is done without Darcy ever doubting his understanding and acceptance of himself.

Dee is a haunting of something left behind. This includes some obvious aspects: she uses Darcy’s deadname and she/her pronouns. But Dee also represents a version of Darcy where his existence was not yet a consideration. In the moments where he clashes with Nora, it seems like Dee is a manifestation of what his mother wants him to be.

In some ways that feels true, but Dee is also part of a past Darcy is not acknowledging. Dee is not just a dramatic foil to allow for the exposition of how Darcy came to this place in his life. Rather, he is sharing that journey with who he was before it started.

The value of such conversations stems from the authenticity behind the story. From writer and director AP Pobjoy, Homebodies strikes an effective balance in its specificity, while feeling like a story audiences will be able to connect with in big or small ways.

– Damien O’Meara

Vladimir

Netflix

The new Netflix limited series Vladimir centres on erotic desire. It’s a story about “limerence”, a psychological state first identified by American psychologist Dorothy Tennov, in which a person’s thoughts and fantasies become dominated by another, and are accompanied by an overwhelming, obsessive desire for that feeling to be returned.

Rachel Weisz plays M, an English professor who develops an intense fixation on a newly arrived colleague, the self-consciously handsome Vladimir (Leo Woodall). M comes across as disturbingly shallow until it becomes clear her fixation has incapacitated her. As the show unfolds, it seems her imagined intimacy with Vladimir might be more enthralling than reality could deliver.

M’s husband John (John Slattery), also a professor, is suspended for sexual misconduct involving students. When pressured to say what she thinks, M dismisses the opportunity to support the young exploited women, instead saying “it was another time”. This refrain of providing generational justifications and avoiding accountability is emphasised throughout the series.

M divulges directly to the camera (in one of many instances of breaking the fourth wall) that middle age has rendered her invisible. However, despite menopausal asides about chin hair, she is too beautiful for us to believe this. It’s more likely her students no longer connect with her outdated ideas.

This adaptation of Julia May Jonas’s provocative 2022 debut novel Vladimir is likely to divide audiences, but its discomfort is compelling and original. I highly recommend it.

– Lisa French

Harry Styles. One Night in Manchester

Netflix

The “one night only” music performance is relatively new for streamers like Netflix, but quite an established format for its broadcast predecessors; think Elvis’ 68 Comeback Special, for example. And like Elvis, Styles is a master of mainstream pop music, perfectly pitched at an intersectional audience and dripping with charisma.

From his One Direction roots in the early 2010s, to becoming a fully fledged solo icon, One Night In Manchester showcases Styles’ latest album Kiss All The Time, Disco Occasionally. It’s a huge event for parent record company Columbia Records (owned by Sony Music Entertainment).

One Night is staged to bring Styles’ multi-stadium persona back to a relatively small audience, providing intimacy and immediacy for those watching at home. The performance is supported by incredible musicians such as the House Gospel Choir. And unlike the ’68 leather-clad Presley, Styles himself appears relatively understated – save for some delightful (if not daggy) dancing and swift movements from lead singer to piano, guitar and synth.

The audience in the room play a vital part too. Their singalongs to Aperture and Dance No More make these new songs sound like canon, while close-ups of fans embracing older hits such as Sign Of The Times remind us how good music can continue to connect us.

– Liz Giuffre

Scarpetta

Prime Video

Chief medical examiner Dr Kay Scarpetta first emerged in Patricia Cornwell’s 1990 debut novel Postmortem, and has appeared in nearly 30 books since then. So it’s no surprise Prime Video’s decision to adapt the mystery-thriller series for TV has been eagerly awaited by fans. Unfortunately, Scarpetta is muddled at best – and a hot mess at worst.

The series unfolds over two timelines. In the present day, Scarpetta (Nicole Kidman) is called to a crime scene where the naked body of a female victim is bound and displayed. Flashbacks to 30 years earlier reveal a young Scarpetta (Rosy McEwen) on the hunt for a serial killer with a similar modus operandi. The suggestion that she may have got the wrong man back in 1998 threatens to blow up her career.

The ethical implications of this are never properly explored, however, as the series focuses instead on the fraught dynamics of Scarpetta’s present-day family. These include her vodka-swilling, histrionic sister Dorothy (Jamie Lee Curtis), tech-genius niece Lucy and, quite bafflingly, a chatbot imitating Lucy’s dead wife.

Careening between soapy family drama and police procedural, Scarpetta suffers from serious bloat. And despite its bizarre AI subplot, it is curiously dated especially in its treatment of gender politics: the misogyny the young Scarpetta navigates is significantly diluted, while the series’ treatment of female victims recalls the sensationalism of pre-#metoo shows such as Law & Order: SVU.

The 90s might be having a revival, but Scarpetta’s failings suggest some things are best left in the past.

– Rachel Williamson

Vagabond

Mubi

I was delighted to see Vagabond (Sans toit ni loi, or “without roof or law”) return to MUBI as part of its ongoing Agnès Varda collection. Having only seen the film once, years ago, I was eager to rewatch one of Varda’s (countless) masterpieces. Like earlier titles such as Cleo from 5 to 7 (Cléo de 5 à 7) and Le Bonheur, Vagabond is a daring display of narrative filmmaking.

True to Varda’s distinctive style, the film probes the limits of cinematic storytelling. Infusing documentary elements – such as testimonial-like sequences and cleverly placed fourth wall breaks – Vagabond stitches together the story of Mona, a rebellious young drifter who, in the film’s opening sequence, is discovered frozen to death in a ditch.

Backtracking from this initial encounter, Varda explores the enigma of Mona through the characters she encountered during her final weeks, crafting a fragmentary portrait of the young woman via flashbacks, memories and impressions. As other characters discuss their brief encounters with Mona, their testimonies often reveal more about social prejudices and taboos than they do about her.

Mona’s psychological interiority remains a mystery, as the viewer is only led to speculate upon the circumstances that led to her futile reality. Subverting the prominent trope of the male drifter, Varda does not sensationalise the protagonist’s circumstances. Rather, she presents both an opaque and brutal portrait of loneliness and liberty, humanism and cruelty.

– Oscar Bloomfield

Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere

Netflix

By now most of us have encountered the “manosphere” – the online ecosystem that repackages misogyny, anti-feminism and male grievance into a form of “self-improvement”.

Journalist Louis Theroux has further lifted the lid on this dangerous ideology in his new documentary, Inside the Manosphere, which exposes some of the key individuals driving this culture. In his measured and sometimes risky style, Theroux traces not only the rhetoric of so-called “high-value men”, but also the business model that sustains them. The result is both illuminating and unsettling.

Through interviews and the influencers’ own content, we see the defence of a regressive gender hierarchy and attempts to restore it. All the while, subscription “academies” set up by leading figures convert young mens’ insecurities into income.

Running alongside the hustle narrative is a thread of conspiratorial thinking. Interviewees invoke the “matrix” as a metaphor for institutional systems trying to keep men compliant, and blind to alternative paths to power.

While the documentary doesn’t dive too deep into the real-world harms of the manosphere (on both women and young men), it does provide some important context for the rise of misogynistic attitudes in our schools and workplaces. Theroux is right to suggest we all are, in some sense, now living inside the manosphere.

– Steven Roberts

– ref. Alpha males, Harry Styles, and going mad with desire: what to watch in April – https://theconversation.com/alpha-males-harry-styles-and-going-mad-with-desire-what-to-watch-in-april-278987

Fonterra settles activists’ misleading packaging lawsuit for ‘100 percent NZ grass-fed’ claims

By Evening Report -

April 1, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fonterra’s Anchor brand butter, showing the label claiming it is ‘100 percent New Zealand grass-fed’. Supplied/ Greenpeace

Greenpeace Aotearoa has won a lawsuit against dairy giant Fonterra’s brands business for misleading butter packaging it labelled “greenwashing”.

The activist group filed the lawsuit in September 2024 for logos featured on Fonterra Brands’ Anchor butter sold between December 2023 and April 2025 that said “100-percent New Zealand grass fed”.

But it argued the co-operative’s dairy cows were also fed imported supplementary feed like palm kernel expeller (PKE), produced in countries like Indonesia.

The use of the two phrases “100 percent New Zealand” and “grass-fed” in combination were found to be misleading and breached the Fair Trading Act 1986.

Fonterra will discontinue using the logo on its Anchor butter packaging, however the co-operative has sold its consumer brands business Mainland Group, that Anchor sits under, to French dairy giant Lactalis.

Greenpeace spokesperson Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn serving Fonterra with a lawsuit on 30 September, 2024. Supplied/ Greenpeace

Greenpeace spokesperson Sinéad Deighton-O’Flynn said it was a win against corporate greenwashing.

“This admission from the world’s biggest dairy exporter is a win against corporate greenwash,” she said.

“It exposes the cynicism of Fonterra and its intensive dairy model: instead of ending its links to rainforest destruction, Fonterra just slapped a misleading label on its packaging and continued business as usual.”

She said New Zealanders were getting ripped off during a cost-of-living crisis.

“We’ve been paying at times upwards of $20 a kilo for butter, while also being misled about the quality of that butter.”

But a spokesman for Fonterra said it stood by its grass-fed claims.

“However, [Fonterra] recognises that the combined use of the two phrases would have been likely to mislead some consumers and has accepted this in the settlement with Greenpeace, the details of which are confidential.”

He said the co-op’s cows were 96 percent grass-fed, including grass, grass silage, hay and forage crops like legumes and brassicas.

The two parties settled outside court on Wednesday.

Greenpeace was a staunch opponent to the use of imported feed products due to its links to deforestation, such as in Southeast Asian rainforests.

“Most New Zealanders would be horrified to know that rainforests are being destroyed, with precious wildlife pushed to the brink of extinction, to grow cheap feed for Fonterra’s oversized dairy herd. And that’s likely why Fonterra tried to hide the truth.”

A worker at a palm plantation area in Indonesia’s Sumatra island. Palm kernel expeller (PKE) is a by-product of the palm oil industry. AFP

Deighton-O’Flynn said PKE was a dry, gravelly feed that originated from destroyed rainforests.

“The reality is Fonterra has only changed the label. It hasn’t changed its destructive practices. Instead of greenwash tactics, Fonterra should take action to phase out palm kernel on all of its farms.”

New Zealand imported around 2 million tonnes of PKE each year largely for the dairy industry.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand