Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls during F1 testing in Bahrain, 2026.MARCEL VAN DORST / AFP
Liam Lawson got through 50 laps in the morning session on day two of Formula 1 pre-season testing in Bahrain admitting they had a few issues.
The 24 year old spent much of the session sporting an aero rack on his new 2026 Racing Bulls car.
He recorded a best time that was 3.7 seconds slower than Charles Leclerc, who was the quickest in the session in his Ferrari.
Lawson spent his first session in data gathering mode for the team with the aero rack placed in front of the rear wing collecting information on air flow.
The information can be used for the front wing set-up and also for future car upgrades.
“We had a few little issues today that stopped a bit of running so early days. We’re learning as fast as we can, it’s obviously all very new,” Lawson said.
There are significant changes in 2026 with the cars smaller and lighter and no longer running DRS while half of their power is now electrically generated.
“It’s very new, it’s very different, a different driving style and it is more sensitive so we have to be a lot more aware behind the wheel.
“It is definitely something I haven’t mastered yet so we’ll spend the next few weeks trying to be as prepared for Melbourne as we can.”
Lawson will spend all day in the car on Friday with another test session again in Bahrain next week.
“Coming into the test we know to try not to be frustrated when we have these small things that stop runs, but the main thing is to try and put the car in a good place today and we have tomorrow to learn a lot more.
“Next week is probably when we spend a lot more time on performance rather than anything else.”
Lawson’s new team-mate Arvid Lindblad drove the car in the afternoon session and got through another 82 laps and went slightly faster than Lawson.
Leclerc completed 139 laps with the fastest time ahead of world champion Lando Norris in a McLaren and Oliver Bearman in a Haas.
Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri were among the seven drivers who didn’t take part in testing today.
Two customers caught out by large changes in the valuation of their vehicles through AA Insurance say they only realised something was amiss when they went to claim.
RNZ has reported on a number of people who have queried the valuations of their cars through the insurance company in recent months.
One woman, Nicki, was upset that the value of her 24-year-old Subaru had increased two-and-a-half times when the policy renewed this year.
AA said it relied on third-party data to provide vehicle values and from time to time the methodology and data sources were updated.
One person, Chris, who contacted RNZ said their policy renewed in February.
But five days later, the vehicle was hit while stationary and it was only then that they realised the insured value had been reduced by 70 percent. Chris said while the change in premiums was made clear in the information emailed about the renewal, the change in the insured value was more difficult to find.
Another person, Ruby, said the value of her car dropped from $6900 to $1300 at her policy renewal..
“After a lot of back and forth, stressful phone calls, and providing my original purchase receipt, AA eventually reinstated the agreed value of $6900.
“The repair quote for the damage is between $2000 and $3000, so if the policy had remained at $1300, it would have effectively left me without meaningful cover.
“However, AA are now requiring me to back-pay the premium difference for the period where the vehicle should have been insured at the higher agreed value. I’m a single mum on a very tight budget with existing debt, and I’ve been trying to resolve this since the 2nd of January while my car is still damaged and difficult to use. They have just agreed to let me repay the additional premium at $8 per fortnight.”
Karen Stevens, Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman, said she could not comment on specifics but had received a number of complaints in recent years from people who had not been aware that their vehicle’s value had been reduced by their insurer until they had an accident.
“We always remind people that it’s important to review the new policy schedule every year and, if they’re not happy with the value, to challenge it then rather than later. They can also get a valuation or PAV to show the vehicle is worth more than the insurer says it is.”
Rebecca Styles, Consumer NZ’s insurance specialist, said anyone who had not been advised about a drop in value should challenge it.,
“If someone is advised of a drop in the value of their vehicle and they disagree with it, they can ask for a revised valuation and provide evidence of what they consider to be fair market value.
“It’s also important to check the policy renewal details when they come through to make sure the insured value is appropriate, and to take the opportunity to check how the premium compares with other insurers to make sure you’re getting the best deal.”
An orange heavy rain warning will take effect from 6pm Friday for Bay of Plenty east of Ōpōtiki, and Tai Rāwhiti north of Tolaga Bay.
Up to 100mm of rain is expected, with a chance of up to 150mm in one or two places.
Forecaster MetService said there was a low chance of it being upgraded to a red warning.
For most of the rest of the island there was a yellow heavy rain watch. It would begin in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel and Waikato at 9am, and make its way south through the middle of the day, with southern areas like Manawatū, Tararua District and Hawke’s Bay joining the watch at 3pm.
Wellington at this stage appeared to be spared.
East Coast residents were warned to expect up to 100mm or rain, with some localised areas getting up to 150mm.
“Peak rainfall rates are very dependent on localised downpours or thunderstorms, and may reach 25 to 40mm per hour during Saturday morning,” MetService warned.
There was a “low chance” the orange warning would be upgraded to red.
“Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions [are] possible.”
Tauranga City Council urged residents to evacuate immediately if the ground moved or there was another landslide.
Periods of heavy rain or showers and a chance of thunderstorms were expected in the region from noon.
The council said there was a higher chance of landslides because of the rain that had already fallen in recent weeks.
There were still 40 slips on Mauao, and recent monitoring had found unstable land.
As a precaution, the council on Friday morning said it would close Adams Avenue, between Pilot Bay and the Maunganui Road roundabout, from 8am.
“This is a precautionary approach following geotechnical advice about the current risks on Mauao from anticipated rainfall from Friday to Saturday.”
No timeframe was given, the council saying it would only reopen once the rain had finished and experts had seemed it safe. The footpath on the ‘shop side’ of Adams Ave would remain open.
It’s rare to find all the members of Christchurch-born alt-pop band Yumi Zouma in the same room.
The remotely working band is scattered across New Zealand, New York and London, operating across time zones where one member works while another sleeps. Milestones are marked over Zoom, each with their own cake or bubbles.
“The vibes are often very, very different,” member Josh Burgess tells Music 101. “It’s sort of like having a Labrador puppy in the middle, a sleepy elderly dog and a newborn.”
Band members Charlie Ryder, Olivia Campion, Christie Simpson and Josh Burgess
Marisa Suda
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A slip on State Highway 2 through the Waioweka Gorge in January.Supplied/NZTA
Tai Rāwhiti locals isolated by January’s slips on the Waioweka Gorge and East Coast highway are anxious to have a reliable northern route out of Gisborne.
Convoys along State Highway 2 were stopped on Thursday night and have been cancelled this weekend, because of the threat of rain causing more slips in the gorge.
On State Highway 35 around East Cape, the storm-damaged road remained closed between Te Araroa and Pōtaka.
Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the Waioweka Gorge was the main freight route out of Tai Rāwhiti therefore cleaning it up was the priority – until then, discussing the future of the network and other routes would have to wait.
“We need to make a determination as to the state of the network once we can actually see it. Clearly, there are issues on the [east] coast in terms of resilience and sustainability.
“State Highway 35 has been a long-running issue, so has the Waioweka Gorge and all the evidence is that it is going to continue to happen into the future.
“I’m just not going to pre-judge where we might get to until I’ve got information.”
Transport Minister Chris Bishop.RNZ / Nathan McKinnon
Waioweka Gorge local Bob Redpath said the odd rockfall during heavy rain was nothing new and after weeks of closures felt frustrated by the cancellation of convoys due to forecast bad weather.
“Yes, it’s a bit fragile and tender at the moment, but they just need to be a bit kinder to the traffic, I think – [they] need to get it going.
“There’s a whole lot of people in Gisborne hurting.”
He said the uncertainty around the road’s status had put his farm stay operation on hold and dog trials due to be held Ōpōtiki next month had just been cancelled for the same reason.
Redpath backed the exploration of an alternative route but pinpointing its location was another matter.
“I tongue in cheek, jokingly said to someone recently, ‘If we were in China – China would build a bridge from Ōpōtiki to Matawai.”
Gisborne’s mayor, Rehette Stoltz, said unreliable roading infrastructure was hampering the region’s economic prospects by putting business confidence at risk.
She said with the cancellation of the convoys through the gorge, once again the only option to go north out of Gisborne was to first head south on State Highway 2, almost to Napier, before taking State Highway 5 – a detour which added between two and three hours.
For those north of Gisborne on the cape, the detour was even longer, creating a “huge time cost and huge money cost for our community”.
Stoltz said hard questions about the future of State Highway 2 would be asked once the region was back on its feet and hoped to sit down with the government in the first half of the year.
“Is it worth investing money constantly – and we are talking about nearly every year millions of dollars to build in, not even resilience into that route, but just to keep it available for us – or is it time for us to say we need to think bigger?
“What is the best option to either build resilience into State Highway 2 north? Or alternatively discuss a different route.”
However, she said the feasibility and location of a different route was best left to the roading engineers.
NZTA investigates resilience in current network
A 2020 National Resilence Programme Business Case prepared for the Transport Agency (NZTA) gave the Waioweka Gorge a 5VL rating – the highest level of “extreme risk” for likelihood of damage – and the only road in the country to receive it.
While NZTA had not investigated another northern route out of Tai Rāwhiti, three options for improving the gorge’s resilience were put forward in the SH2 Waioweka Gorge Corridor Resilience Single Stage Business Case.
NZTA regional manager of system design Lisa Faulknor said the options cost between $70 million and $200m as at 2024 and the agency had just completed work to address “weather-related risks” before the recent severe weather.
“The business case is complete and does not need any further work. So it can be utilitised without delay, subject to funding availability.”
However, the recommended option would only half weather-related road closures, she said.
“According to the business case, completing this option would result in a 53 percent reduction in closures – it would not fully eliminate the consequences of weather events or the subsequent closures.”
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
Some potato growers are reporting yields could be down 20 percent this winter due to bad weather, but it’s still a bit early in the season to know the full impact.
Some growers are harvesting early varieties now, with the main harvest getting underway in a few weeks.
Potatoes New Zealand chair Paul Olsen said his crop in Manuwatu is looking good, but further north in Pukekohe, growers have had a lot of rain.
“What I’m told sort of further north that the yields are back by maybe 20 percent in some areas, and then the earlier crops in Canterbury, I’m told, are sort of on par,” Olsen said.
“It’s hard to know the full impact of the weather until we get into the thick of harvest in about a month or so.”
Olsen said if the national crop does end up being smaller, prices could remain higher as demand for potatoes has been solid.
“The general rule of thumb is that the prices do ease as the main crop comes on, so it’s sort of hard to gauge and I’d hate to jump to conclusions so early on in the season given, we’re only in February. But yeah, it’ll definitely be one to watch. “
Pukekohe company Hira Bhana and Co grows 140 hectares of potatoes year-round.
Owner Bharat Bhana said the potatoes have been struggling with the changeable weather.
“When it’s to wet, the roots don’t go down deep enough to go and search for water, then when it goes dry the roots aren’t prepared and then they dry out,” Bhana said.
“So, you need to keep the water on, yesterday it was 27 degrees during the day and only got down to 20 at night, it’s not cooling down enough – the muggy weather isn’t ideal for getting a decent crop of potatoes.”
Bhana said they aim is to get 45 to 50 tonnes a hectare, but they’re getting about 40.
He said if there are fewer spuds around, prices will probably go up.
“But, in saying that, potatoes at the moment, at $1.50 a kilo, or even at $3 a kilo, is cheap compared to anything else. Consumers normally complain about $3 a kilo for spuds, but go and get $3 worth of chicken or $3 worth of steak and see what that gets you.”
He hasn’t made money on potatoes for 18 months, so getting higher prices will be good for cash flow.
“Just the other day, Balance sent us a nice newsletter again saying that fertilizer price is going up again.
“As our dollar fluctuates and the New Zealand dollar loses value, everything we bring into the country like fertiliser, chemicals, machinery, it all goes up so our costs have risen a lot.
“It’s getting to the stage now where growers have decided, well, it’s not worth growing anymore, so they got out of it.”
Bhana said with rising costs more vegetable growers are leaving the industry – especially in Pukekohe, where some can sell land to developers for hefty profits.
An investment company predicts New Zealanders will have to work into their 70s if the country wants to afford superannuation.
A debate has been held at the New Zealand Economic Forum at Waikato University.
Milford Investments CEO Blair Turnbull said 40 percent of retirees rely entirely on income from super because they have no savings.
He believes it’s inevitable the age for super will rise and be means tested.
He said Treasury is very clear, saying that unless the retirement age rises to 72 or 73, New Zealand can’t afford to pay superannuation.
“By 2030, we’ll have over one million people over the age of 65 and we want New Zealanders to retire with dignity and in a lifestyle they deserve.
“That is just going to compound. Why? Looking back, in the 1970s you had seven workers for every person over the age of 65. Today that’s about four workers for every person over the age of 65 and by 2060 it’ll be two workers for every person over the age of 65.
“The truth is we cannot afford the superannuation system, because we don’t have the workers and we don’t have the productivity – and just to bring the productivity point to life – in terms of the 37 OECD countries, we are 27th in the rankings in terms of productivity.
“And here’s the killer stat that follows that, in terms of our savings, we’re 33rd, so if we have lower productivity and lower wages, that, unfortunately, really hurts our ability to save because we literally don’t have the money to save for the future, even though we know we need to save.
“Fifty percent of people today are just surviving pay cheque to pay cheque and the news isn’t any better for retired people because 40 percent of them arrive at 65 and they have little to no private savings and they’re fully reliant on income from New Zealand super, which we simply can’t afford.”
Former cabinet minister David Parker told the conference that we have to match Australia on their better superannuation savings rate.
“I’m in favour of following Australia into compulsory KiwiSaver and there should be a tax incentive.”
Former MP and CEO of the Aged Care Association Tracey Martin said a much broader conversation is needed than whether the age of superannuation should be raised.
Sharon Zollner, the chief executive of ANZ, told the conference the health care costs for older people are also a consideration. She said the health needs of people over 85 cost five times more than those aged 65.
Tom Forrest, Dr Graham Gulbransen and Sank McFarlane at Puro’s Kekerengu farm.Supplied / Niki Macfarlane
The country’s largest medicinal cannabis grower is about to harvest its biggest crop, and is working with iwi on plans to increase its production in Kaikōura.
Puro New Zealand has been growing medicinal cannabis since 2018 and has two facilities in Marlborough, one in the Waihopai Valley and another at Kekerengu on the Kaikōura Coast.
Co-founder and chief development officer Tom Forrest said staff were about a month away from harvesting around 65,000 plants from across 15 hectares, which would produce around 100 tonnes of material that would be dried or formulated into oils for medicinal use.
“[Cannabis] has a genetic plasticity that allows it to grow from the mountains of the Himalayas to deserts to tropical islands but not all of those places grow [plants] in a way that is suitable for high quality medicine.”
He said the Kekerengu farm was special because it had an optimal soil profile, the right aspect, gradient and the elevation from sea level along with protection from the mountains.
“There’s a really, really perfect melting pot of agronomic traits that work to grow cannabis here.”
On Thursday, Puro opened the gates of its Kekerengu farm to academics, growers, buyers and prescribers.
“In an industry where factory farming is a bit of the norm, we want to show why our plants and our crops and our medicines are grown differently and we’ve invited other farmers from around New Zealand and the world so we can share knowledge and we can collaborate and build really lovely partnerships.”
Local iwi Te Rūnanga o Kaikōura established a strategic partnership with Puro. Two years ago, the business, which is owned and operated by the local tribe Ngāti Kūri of Ngāi Tahu, invested in the company and together had established cadetships to build talent in the industry.
Managing director Rāwiri Manawatu said it was working to establish a contract growing model similar to the wine industry.
“We could have our own piece of land, we could be growing the product ourselves and then sell it on to Puro or for processing.
“The idea is building that capability and capacity, training and supporting [the cadets] to learn everything they need to know about the farm and how it works so that we can start building this growth model.”
Colin Nuckolls, Rawiri Manawatu and Tom Forrest at the Puro farm in Kekerengu on the Kaikōura Coast.Supplied / Niki Macfarlane
Columbia University professor and organic chemist Colin Nuckolls, who visited the Kekerengu farm on Thursday, had spent the better part of the last decade studying the chemical differences between indoor and sun-grown cannabis.
He originally thought cannabis was mainly just THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol) but found “a whole plethora of really interesting compounds” were present, often into the thousands, particularly in cannabis that was grown in soil and under the sunlight.
He said cannabis in the United States was tested for a certain number of cannabinoids and terpenes, so on paper, the certificate of analysis for different cultivars looked the same.
“Based on that you can’t tell any difference between them but the effect that a patient or a consumer has when they try one versus the other can be night and day, so what that’s telling you is that there’s many, many components in there that are having a big effect.
“It’s probably a fool’s error to think that you can actually reproduce what nature gave you in soil and sunlight in an indoor environment, the vegetative equivalent of a death camp.”
Auckland based GP Dr Graham Gulbransen started the first medical cannabis service in New Zealand nine years ago and said until recently, the products he prescribed had to be imported from Canada, Australia or Europe.
“Since 2022, we’ve had the option of organically grown CBD from this site here at Kekerengu and patients will often choose New Zealand grown or organically grown for the fact that it’s sustainable, using sunlight as the energy source rather than lights indoors.
He mainly prescribed medicinal cannabis to those with persistent pain, neurological conditions, those suffering from emotional distress, or with side effects from cancer treatment but at a cost of between $5 to $10 a day, the cost remained a barrier for many.
“We’d love to see subsidies where clearly we’re reducing the cost of standard medicines when patients are not responding to standard treatment.”
He said the Medicinal Cannabis Agency required a very high level of research in the form of clinical trials that showed the pharmaceutical benefits, which was tough when there were so many different strains of cannabis.
“It’s very difficult to do research where one variety may work better for a particular group of patients and other varieties are going to suit other people and some respond to low doses, others to high doses.”
He said research was happening around the world, but it was very expensive and work was ongoing to encourage the government to consider subsidising medical cannabis.
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
But Hornell quickly built her own list of clients.
“I got to the point where I was like ok, I’ve got no more capacity to bring any more clients in, so what next?” she said.
She had always wanted to start her own hairdressing business, but thought that would happen in New Zealand.
However, with a bit of guidance from friends, Hornell found a space to rent in London, and even some Kiwi builders to help turn it into a hair salon.
More than a year and a half later, her Hackney salon ‘Peach Stories’ has continued to grow.
Hornell explains that there have been a few lessons along the way, including when she first opened to clients.
“I was working alone and I had double booked myself all day, because at the start you’re like, ‘Oh my god, now I’ve got to pay all this rent, so let’s just work 10 hour days’, and anyway I ended up overbooking myself, I ran late for every client by like an hour, the salon was a mess, I was here until 11 o’clock, but I feel like you have to have that day,” she said.
Hornell now employed six staff members, including several New Zealanders.
Eighty percent of the salon’s clients were Kiwis and Australians, and word of mouth had helped grow the business.
“I always get told by my Kiwi and Australian clients, they were so happy to find a Kiwi salon, because they also feel like we do the hair slightly different as well,” Hornell said.
New Zealander Regan McMillan believed the Kiwi reputation was a big part of his company’s success too.
He started his moving business, Kiwi Movers, 18 years ago.
What began as a bit of extra work on the weekend with one moving van, had grown into an operation with 20 staff.
“From just everyday people just wanting to move a few items, to billionaires, to movie stars – some of the guys have had, you know, sitting in the truck with a movie star for a few hours,” McMillan said.
Many of the staff were trained lawyers, engineers, teachers, or sportspeople who had left New Zealand for their OE (overseas experience).
“One of the refreshing things you get is the feedback, just about the attitude of the guys and how friendly and proactive they are,” McMillan said.
“New Zealand is a trusted brand in itself, and people feel comfortable with Kiwis, they go, ‘Right, ok, I know what I’m getting’.”
McMillan said starting a business overseas came with the extra challenge of figuring out how to do things in another country, but he believed the right attitude was a big help.
McMillan encouraged anyone who was in the position he was 18 years ago, to take the chance.
“Just go ahead and do it, give it a go, you’ve got nothing to lose. Being a Kiwi, you’ve probably got the right attitude, and people will be more open to giving you a shot as well”.
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
On Thursday, the Professional Firefighters’ Union (NZPFU) said the specialised trucks in four cities were broken and communities faced hours of waiting for back-up if needed.
However, Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) said the claims were untrue and that it could provide alternative vehicles whenever they were needed.
It comes as union members are set to strike again today, stopping work for an hour at midday over their collective employment agreement.
What the union says
NZPFU said the Rotorua aerial truck broke down at a fire at Taupō-nui-a-Tia College on Sunday, resulting in an almost two-hour delay for back-up from Hamilton.
It said New Plymouth, Palmerston North and Gisborne’s aerial trucks were also all broken.
The union pointed to a national aerial strategy, which was meant to come off the back of a 2019 fire at Auckland’s International Convention Centre.
“Seven years later, that strategy is still to be completed. Instead, the organisation has prioritised corporate restructuring, cost-cutting, and the elimination of frontline emergency services to communities,” it said.
FENZ responds
However, FENZ said it was “not true that four Type 4 aerial trucks are out of action”.
It said Rotorua’s appliance was now back in service, and Gisborne’s was available despite being in the workshop for a minor issue.
Palmerston North’s truck was having a scheduled service and would be available again on Friday, while New Plymouth’s aerial truck was also in the workshop getting an intermittent electrical issue diagnosed and repaired.
“For scheduled services and minor repairs, we generally make arrangements that if a truck [is] in the workshop overnight it will be left in an operational state so the station can use it if needed. Similarly, if they need it during the day the workshop will endeavour to stop what they are doing and make it available,” a spokesperson said.
“It’s important to understand that we have 16 operational aerial appliances the same type as the Rotorua aerial, that get a proactive service 4 times a year. These services typically take 1-3 days each, plus any time for repairs. This means on average there is a Type 4 in the workshop for a proactive service for about 2.5 days for every week of the year. This is good maintenance practice, and demonstrates our investment in looking after our fleet.”
FENZ had a fleet of about 1300 trucks, the spokesperson said, and the agency was investing more than $20 million per year over the next three years to upgrade its fleet, plus an additional $12.5m on new heavy aerial trucks.
“Our firefighters are trained to use a range of tactics for different types of incidents. This means that if one particular type of fire truck is unavailable, they can adapt their tactics to the resources that they have.”
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
Do you need words of affirmation? Quality time? Acts of service? Gifts? Or physical touch?
Figuring out your “love language” has become one of the most successful relationship ideas of the past two decades. Why? Because the idea is simple, flattering and easy to apply.
While incredibly popular and often used as a “go-to” tool on first dates, recent research suggests that the idea lacks strong scientific evidence for its central claims.
Gary Chapman’s five love languages – words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, or physical touch – are based on his reported experience working with couples as their pastor.
Moody Publishers
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Finance Minister Nicola Willis is urging the previous Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr to front up to the inquiry into the economic responses to Covid-19.
The government announced the independent review on Wednesday, saying it would identify key lessons from the spike in inflation and house prices.
The central bank’s actions – including official cash rate cuts and money printing – as well as its interaction with government policy, will all be in scope.
Willis said it was up to Orr whether he appeared, but had a message for him.
“Put New Zealand’s interests at the heart of your decision,” she said.
“It’s in New Zealand’s interests that you are candid about the decisions the Reserve Bank made in response to the Covid pandemic so that our country can learn from any mistakes that you made.”
Willis said she would still be going ahead with the inquiry whether Orr was still governor or not.
“Yes. I first sought advice on the shape of a potential inquiry when we first came into government. The decision I made at that time was to first focus on the legislating of a singular inflation-fighting target; the renegotiation of a funding agreement,” she said.
“At the point of Adrian Orr’s resignation, which occurred of course just a few months into our term as government, I determined it wouldn’t be appropriate while we were recruiting for a new governor to initiate the review, but the appointment of Dr Anna Breman has provided an appropriate juncture.”
Previous Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr’s resignation came more than a year after the government took office.RNZ / Dom Thomas
Opposition parties have criticised the timing of the review – with the findings set to be released in September, just weeks before the 7 November election – labelling it a politically motivated hit-job and an attack on the central bank’s independence.
Willis said the reviewers – former Cyprus central banker Athanasios Orphanides and former RBNZ assistant governor David Archer – would be travelling to New Zealand to carry out their work including conducting interviews.
They would have access to all Reserve Bank information, she said, and she expected it would also look at wealth inequality.
Orr led the bank during the pandemic but resigned unexpectedly last March over a lack of funding for the central bank.
His resignation came more than a year after the government took office.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s announcement about a plan to establish an LNG import facility, and the levy to fund it, has been badly received.Marika Khabazi / RNZ
Imported liquified natural gas could be a stopgap insurance policy against dry years – or an expensive, dirty fuel that will hit Kiwis in the pocket
“If it looks like a tax and it quacks like a tax, it’s a tax,” was the echo throughout parliament, and fiercely debated on talkback radio.
But behind the rhetoric sits a serious problem: New Zealand’s domestic gas supply is shrinking, electricity demand is rising, and officials warn the country risks shortages without backup fuel.
So imported LNG, most likely from Australia, is being pitched as that backup.
The plan would see New Zealand import super-cooled natural gas, shipped in from overseas, stored and regasified for use in electricity generation and industry.
Newsroom senior political reporter Marc Daalder tells The Detail it’s a proposed stopgap – insurance against dry years, dwindling gas reserves, and rising demand.
“Every once in a while, it rains less than you’d like it to, particularly in autumn and winter.
“That means our hydro lakes run low, and we can’t necessarily rely on things like wind, [as] it tends to be less windy when it’s less rainy; or solar in the winter when the sun isn’t shining, the sun’s gone down at the time we have our peak power demand, which is usually around 6 pm in July or August when people get home and turn on the heat and start cooking dinner, and suddenly the country’s power demand spikes.
“So renewables on their own aren’t able to fill that gap. We burn fossil fuels instead in dry years … but the problem is that we don’t have quite enough fossil fuel generation and quite enough supply, particularly of gas, to be able to reliably access it when you need it in a dry year.
“And that’s because of the second problem that’s going on, which is that our gas reserves are dwindling. They have essentially fallen off a cliff in the last few years.”
Not for want of trying, he says, with $1.5 billion spent on drilling 53 different exploration wells.
“A few of them have had small successes, but it’s turned out that the big, big fields that we have relied on for quite a long time have just started coming up empty.”
He says LNG is more expensive than domestic gas – about double the price.
“The theory is, on the government’s part, this is a backstop. The gas is available if we need it in a dry year, yes it’s more expensive, so it won’t be used otherwise.”
Daalder warns that, potentially, LNG could be dirtier than coal.
“There has been some research recently to suggest when you account for the emissions that go into producing the gas, into converting it to LNG, the leakages that occur while it’s being shipped across the ocean, and then it has to be regasified, and then distributed around a country like New Zealand, then actually LNG is potentially as dirty or dirtier than coal when you take that full supply chain into account.”
Questions remain
Martin Gummer, managing director of Optima, which looks at energy management solutions, tells The Detail that he largely supports the move, saying gas remains critical for manufacturing, food processing, and electricity reliability.
“You’ve got heavy industry, major manufacturers, steel, wood processors but also a wide spectrum of intermediate-sized businesses such as food products,” says Gummer. Schools and hospitals are also big gas users.
Gummer wrote an open letter to the prime minister that was published in the NZ Herald last December which was critical of the government’s handling of the energy problem and called for an urgent “bold, decisive” strategy.
As the country fast runs out of natural gas, Gummer says the LNG announcement won’t address all the concerns and there are still questions over the date of opening of a new plant and the price customers pay for the gas.
“While LNG is not a perfect answer, there is no perfect answer, it is probably the next best and most sensible interim step that needs to be taken.”
A missing part of the jigsaw is a funding stream – or subsidy – to assist industry to transition to renewable energy sources.
Check out how to listen to and follow The Detailhere.
You can also stay up-to-date by liking us onFacebookor following us onTwitter.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A spooky image described a “grim reaper” has shown up in a medical scan of someone who’d just be in a car accident.
The person was actually unharmed, but the New Zealand Medical Journal has highlighted the case an an example of pareidolia.
That was the tendency of humans to see faces or figures in objects.
The image in the journal was from a radiograph of the atlas bone of the neck.
It looked like a skull surrounded by a black hood although, on closer inspection, it could also be perceived as a friendly skeleton.
The report, by Stephen Rowlands, said the tendency to spot faces in objects was evolutionarily advantageous but the interpretations could sometimes be humorous or eerie.
Supplied / New Zealand Medical Journal
“Cases of pareidolia in medicine are rare but not unprecedented, with reported examples including the Star Wars “Baby Yoda” character being seen in sacral magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans,” it said.
The image was in fact created by a cluster of cysts in the neck.
Even though the patient was not seriously injured, the cysts could make them more susceptible to a neck injury.
The image was a good chance to reinforce anatomical knowledge but also to show the “cognitive pitfalls” that could come with radiology, the report said.
“Awareness of pareidolia is important for radiologists and clinicians alike, as it underscores the influence of subconscious visual biases on image.”
A University of Sydney study in 2021 concluded being good at spotting faces was part of human evolution – and that was why they tended to see them in objects.
Facial recognition happened in a few hundred milliseconds.
It was beneficial to be able to spot and assess a face quickly and the benefit of never missing a face outweighed sometimes getting it wrong, the study found.
Social media is full of examples of faces in gherkins or trees or power sockets and more.
More than 20 years ago a Florida woman made headlines when she sold a cheese sandwich for US$28,000 because it looked like an image of the Virgin Mary.
Judith Collins will remain an MP and continue to hold her portfolios until she moves to her new position as Law Commission president in the middle of the year.Nick Monro
Judith Collins was the only person considered for the role of Law Commission president – with no recruitment process, no selection panel and no rival candidates.
The appointment amounted to a simple “Cabinet confirmation”.
The revelation came on Friday in response to written questions to the government from the Green Party.
While the Law Commission Act 1985 requires only ministerial sign-off for the presidency, Cabinet guidelines state such appointments should follow “good practice” processes set out by the Public Service Commission.
Speaking to RNZ, Green co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick said Collins’ effective anointment was “deeply concerning” and risked further damaging already “plummeting trust” in the coalition government.
“These independent processes are set up to protect against cronyism and corruption,” she said.
“How on earth can we possibly say that somebody was appointed because they were the best person for the job, when there was a decision to not even consider anybody else for that job?”
The responsible minister Paul Goldsmith told RNZ he was certain he had followed due process and rejected any suggestion of cronyism.
“Sometimes there’s been an external panel [for appointing this position]. Sometimes there hasn’t,” he said, adding there was a “long tradition” of former politicians serving on the Commission.
“We’re absolutely confident in the abilities of Judith Collins to do the job well. She’s obviously got hugely extensive… experience in justice roles across many many years.”
A spokesperson told RNZ Collins recused herself from the Cabinet decision.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced in January that Collins would step down from politics to take up the “prestigious” role at the Law Commission from mid-year.
University of Otago law professor Andrew Geddis said past practice around such appointments appeared “pretty flexible”, but this example looked “nakedly political”.
“The worry is that if you’ve got very loose flexible processes… then it’s open to misuse to an even greater extent in the future.”
Geddis said Collins may well do a good job in her new position but would face a challenge convincing the public she could uphold its independence.
“I don’t think it’s conspiracy thinking to say that the government has chosen to reward one of its long-standing loyal servants with this role.”
Collins’ predecessor Mark Hickford was appointed to the Commission in October but given an unusually short six-month term as president, “pending the confirmation of a new president in the new year”.
Collins was unavailable for comment, having departed for Germany on Wednesday to attend the Munich Security Conference.
Last month she told media she intended to play “a straight bat” in the role: “This is too important. The Law Commission is not there to play political games.”
Lucas Casey and Ethan Blackadder. Graphic: Liam K. SwiggsPhotosport
Highlanders v Crusaders
Kick-off: 7:05pm Friday 13 February
Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin
Live blog updates on RNZ
And we’re back. Super Rugby Pacific returns with a southern derby between the Highlanders and the Crusaders, two teams coming in with very contrasting situations right now. The home side has arguably their best player ruled out for the whole season this week, while coach Jamie Joseph may only have that title for a few more weeks. Oh, and the Highlanders came dead last in 2025.
Meanwhile, the Crusaders are defending champions after a remarkable comeback season last year. They tipped over the Chiefs in a tense final, after a highly entertaining Super Rugby Pacific competition.
Tamaiti Williams scores the winning try during the Crusaders v Highlanders, Super Rugby Pacific match, Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch.Joseph Johnson/ActionPress
Team lists
Highlanders: 1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Jack Taylor, 3 Angus Ta’avao, 4 Oliver Haig, 5 Mitch Dunshea, 6 Te Kamaka Howden, 7 Sean Withy, 8 Lucas Casey, 9 Folau Fakatava, 10 Cameron Millar, 11 Jona Nareki, 12 Timoci Tavatavanawai, 13 Jonah Lowe, 14 Caleb Tangitau, 15 Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens
Bench: 16 Henry Bell, 17 Josh Bartlett, 18 Rohan Wingham, 19 Will Stodart, 20 Veveni Lasaqa, 21 Adam Lennox, 22 Reesjan Pasitoa, 23 Tanielu Tele’a
Crusaders: 1 Finlay Brewis, 2 George Bell, 3 Seb Calder, 4 Antonio Shalfoon, 5 Jamie Hannah, 6 Dom Gardiner, 7 Ethan Blackadder, 8 Christian Lio-Willie, 9 Noah Hotham, 10 Rivez Reihana, 11 Leicester Fainga’anuku, 12 David Havili (c), 13 Braydon Ennor, 14 Sevu Reece, 15 Chay Fihaki
Bench: 16 Codie Taylor, 17 George Bower, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Tahlor Cahill, 20 Corey Kellow, 21 Kyle Preston, 22 Taha Kemara, 23 Will Jordan
Highlanders team news
Lucas Casey.Michael Thomas/ActionPress
Fabian Holland is the big name missing, with the All Black lock suffering a shoulder injury that’ll keep him out of rugby till the test season. Pumas import Tomas Lavanini has not been adjudged fit to take his place so Mitch Dunshea and Oliver Haig pair up in the second row.
All eyes will be on young number eight Lucas Casey after his standout NPC season last year, while the backline has Timoci Tavatavanawai and Jonah Lowe pairing up in midfield.
The depth that Rob Penney has available to him is on show in this Crusaders side, with Codie Taylor and Will Jordan set to come off the bench. Ethan Blackadder is the most intriguing starter in the pack, can he stay injury free and regain his spot in the All Blacks? He’ll have the help of a dependable crew around him, George Bell is coming off a big NPC season and test recall, while out in the backs Noah Hotham has been given the start at halfback over Kyle Preston.
Key stats
Sevu Reece scores a try during the Crusaders v Force, Super Rugby Pacific match, Apollo Projects Stadium, Christchurch.Martin Hunter/ActionPress
The Crusaders have won four of their last five matches against the Highlanders at Forsyth Barr Stadium, with the only blip being a 32-29 defeat in their horror 2024 season.
The Highlanders have lost their last six Super Rugby Pacific matches against New Zealand opposition teams by an average of 15.8 points per game.
Crusaders wing Sevu Reece has been directly involved in 23 tries across his last 23 Super Rugby Pacific games (16 tries, seven assists).
What they’re saying
“I’m thinking about the Highlanders, that’s been my focus. The publicity around the (All Black) job has been surprisingly simple for the players, there hasn’t been a lot said. This is my first game this season, I’m really focused on the Highlanders.” – Jamie Joseph.
“I hope (the starting players) are relishing it deeply. It’s a great opportunity for them, in a number of areas. For them to get this much time to play, it’s awesome for us to see how they cope with it … it’s up to them to take it.” – Rob Penney.
The last time they met
Crusaders 15 – 12 Highlanders
[embedded content]
After a wretched season, the Highlanders almost pulled off a massive upset in Christchurch. Unfortunately, Cam Millar’s usually dependable kicking form deserted him on the last play of the game, as he pushed a penalty attempt that would’ve sent the game to extra time wide of the posts.
What’s going to happen
The Crusaders will probably win, and comfortably too, but this still stands as the Highlanders’ best chance to pull off an upset. They started the season well last year but now have to contend with injuries and the Joseph situation, so that will be playing on their mind. The Crusaders just need to pick up where they left off, with Leicester Fainga’anuku and Sevu Reece sure to come off the wings and cause havoc.
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
Pat Gray (right) and Ange Jones (left) are “proud Tangata Tiriti” and belong to Network Waitangi Whangārei – an organisation that provides information, education and support to implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi.Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ
More Pākehā are enrolling in Treaty education workshops and seeking out information about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, according to long-standing Treaty educators.
Waitangi Network Whangārei, a community-based rōpū said membership enrolments have tripled in the last year, alongside increasing attendance at its public workshops introducing people to Te Tiriti.
“We’ve had big numbers in the last few years, so there’s a lot more interest in people trying to understand about Te Tiriti,” Network Waitangi Whangārei member and educator Ngaire Ray told RNZ.
“There’s a real movement for people to understand what does Te Tiriti mean for all of us.”
Network Waitangi Whangārei has been operating since 1985. Originally known as Project Waitangi, the group was established to educate non-Māori about the Treaty in the lead-up to the 150th anniversary of its signing in 1990.
Ray said the group had been travelling to Waitangi for decades, focusing on encouraging Tangata Tiriti to see Te Tiriti as relevant to them.
“It’s our partnership, it’s a relationship,” she said.
“Te Tiriti is for all people and if we embrace Te Tiriti, it sets out the path and the future for Aotearoa.”
She said Te Tiriti was an agreement between two nations – Māori and the Crown – and that non-Māori had a responsibility to understand the historical context and the commitments made in 1840.
“It’s really important that my people, that Pākehā people and non-Māori are present in the relationship and understand Te Tiriti, we understand the historical context of where that was signed, what was agreed in Te Tiriti and what does it mean for us and the future of Aotearoa.”
Network Waitangi Whangārei member and Educator Ngaire Ray says enrollments have tripled over the past year.Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ
Kathryn McKenzie, a Pākehā Treaty educator who has been running workshops for 32 years, said many people were only now beginning to learn a history they were not taught at school.
“If it was happening in our schools, we wouldn’t need to be here. If our people knew our history, we wouldn’t need to be here,” she said.
“We’ve got a history of colonisation, and we have for many, many years tried to hide it. And that doesn’t create stable partnership if we don’t acknowledge our past.”
McKenzie said Treaty education gained momentum following the 1981 Springbok Tour protests, when Pākehā protesters were challenged by Māori activists to “go and educate your people” about racism and Te Tiriti.
Project Waitangi emerged from that period of activism, alongside other anti-racism movements. It later became Network Waitangi, with autonomous regional groups continuing the education kaupapa to this day.
The group describes itself as an independent, voluntary community organisation providing information, education and support to help people understand and implement Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
McKenzie said people attending workshops included Pākehā, Māori and newer migrants – often referred to as tangata Tiriti – who had come to Aotearoa after 1840.
“Everybody needs to learn because they’ve all come through the standard education system where the Treaty has not been taught,” she said.
She said terms such as “Pākehā” and “Tangata Tiriti” were often misunderstood.
“Tangata Tiriti, we’re the partners that signed the Treaty. Because we have signed the Treaty, that was what gave us permission to settle here.”
Tangata Tiriti Annie and Carol attend the nationwide activation hīkoi mō Te Tiriti in Dargarville.Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ
Recent national data suggests the growing interest in Treaty education reflects wider public attitudes.
For the third year running, Te Kāhui Tika Tangata Human Rights Commission surveyed New Zealanders’ awareness, understanding and attitudes toward Te Tiriti, human rights and the constitution.
The December 2025 survey, conducted by Horizon Research, found strong support for protecting Te Tiriti and fostering respectful discussion.
Seventy percent said it was important that Te Tiriti is protected in New Zealand’s laws and constitution, while 78 percent said respectful discussion of Te Tiriti was important for the country’s future.
Eighty-seven percent said it was important that everyone knows the country’s history, 83 percent said positive relationships between Māori and the Crown is important, and 79 percent supported protecting and celebrating Māori culture, language and identity.
The survey also found 93 percent believed it was important that everyone feels a sense of belonging in Aotearoa.
Commission Indigenous Rights Governance partner Dayle Takitimu said the findings challenged narratives of division.
“Many of the results tell a different story to the narrative of division we have been fed over the past two years,” Takitimu said.
“The majority of New Zealanders value Māori culture and traditions, care about the real histories of Aotearoa, and want respectful discussions about Te Tiriti.”
Network Waitangi Whangārei was established in 1985 and have been attending Waitangi ever since.Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ
Ray said education is central to what happens next.
“We aren’t going to get to a better future unless we talk to people, educate people, inform people, help them to understand our history,” she said.
“It’s a beautiful document, it’s a simple one-page document, it’s a peaceful agreement, and it has held so much potential for how we can be together as a country and as a people.”
McKenzie said facing the past was necessary to build stronger relationships in the future.
“We can build a better future if we face our past,”
“Don’t be scared, because Te Tiriti o Waitangi is actually good for us all.”
Paul Davison KC has been named to help Tauranga City Council’s external review.RNZ
Hundreds of thousands of files have been identified by Tauranga City Council that it thinks could be relevant to a review of what it knew and how fast it acted before the deadly landslip at Mount Maunganui that left six holiday-makers dead.
The review, while separate to a government inquiry also confirmed the same day, would aim to work alongside it and try to cut any duplication.
Davison has been tasked with delivering his findings by the end of June, a target both he and Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale were confident of reaching.
“It really depends on once he gets into his work and understands the scale,” Drysdale said.
“It is quite a narrow scope, but with the ability for him to go wider if he feels it’s relevant, so we’ll trust his judgement on that.”
But the mayor told RNZ it was a big job ahead.
“The total documents that we’re looking at the moment is in the hundreds of thousands,” he said.
It was based on search terms staff had used to scour through documents.
“So, just literally searching every file we have, every e-mail, every conversation that’s recorded,” Drysdale said.
Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale at a media stand up after the Mount Maunganui landslide.Lauren Crimp
The mayor said all of these now had to be waded through to see if they were relevant to Davison’s review.
Drysdale said Davison was “the right man for the job” given his extensive experience, and what he said was a reputation for rigorous analysis.
Read RNZ National Crime Correspondent Sam Sherwood’searlier reportof who knew what, and when.
The mayor was asked if he had considered any future actions if Davison’s report found any fault with the council.
“Look, at the end of the day we lost six lives and it’s important that we understand what happened, whether that’s good, bad or indifferent,” Drysdale said.
“I’m sure that there’s going to be some things that are found that we could have done better and it’s important that we know that so we can put those processes in place going forward to enable that we don’t go through a similar situation.”
Fire and Emergency (FENZ) previously confirmed it got a 111 call at 5.48am before the tragedy, from a person reporting a slip near the holiday park.
It said at the time it contacted Tauranga City Council at 5.51am, given it owned the camping ground.
The council confirmed it received a call from FENZ.
Davison told RNZ he would need unrestricted access to “any” information the council held.
“If I didn’t have unrestricted information or access to it, then clearly I wouldn’t be able to undertake an effective review,” he said.
The deadline for the review was able to be extended with agreement from the mayor.
“But … we need this in a timely manner, because we don’t want to wait,” he said.
“We’re hopeful we can get the report as quickly as possible.”
Davison said he would work to complete the report as soon as he possibly could.
Who is Paul Davison?
Admitted as a barrister and solicitor in 1975
Made a High Court judge in 2015 and retired in 2023 before continuing work in law as a mediator, arbitrator and consulting
Has sat as a member of a Divisional Court of Appeal
Has acted as counsel in several major commissions of inquiry, notably the Royal Commission into the Air New Zealand Erebus disaster
In 2025, undertook a government-appointed role of independent arbiter to determine financial redress for Lake Alice survivors
Appointed Kim Dotcom’s lawyer soon after his arrest
Lead defence lawyer in 2009 for Mangere MP Taito Phillip Field
Appeared as Crown counsel in the case against David Tamihere.
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
Regulations mean only specialised vape retailers are allowed to sell the full range of vape products and flavours.Unsplash
Vape stores within stores like dairies and petrol stations are allowing retailers to get around flavour restrictions, and a new study has found they’re far more common in low socio-economic areas.
The authors of this new research out of Massey University say it goes against efforts to limit the exposure of young people to vape products.
Regulations mean only specialised vape retailers (SVRs) are allowed to sell the full range of vape products and flavours – and a store can only qualify as an SVR if vaping products make up 70 percent of their sales.
Convenience stores, petrol stations and supermarkets, which don’t meet that bar, can only sell mint, menthol or tobacco flavoured vapes.
But by opening a vape shop as a store within a store, these retailers could stock the full range, and then market those products to their existing foot traffic – for example, someone who has popped in for a bottle of milk.
A new paper out of Massey University, titled “Scoping the vape retail environment and retailers’ responses to vape control measures in selected Auckland suburbs with different levels of socio-economic deprivation” by Robin van der Sanden, Chris Wilkins, Marta Rychert, Jude Ball, Janet Hoek, Penelope Truman, Geoff Kira, El-Shadan Tautolo, has analysed the locations of these vape shops.
Out of 160 specialist vape retailers in 14 Auckland suburbs, 44 percent were stores within stores, and they were concentrated in suburbs with higher socio-economic deprivation, and residential areas rather than commercial centres.
High-deprivation suburbs had a median of 8.5 store-within-a-store outlets, compared to just two in low-deprivation areas.
In addition, 56 percent of all speciality vape retailers were located within 300 metres of at least one educational institute – be that primary, secondary, or tertiary.
The Auckland CBD had the highest total number of specialist vape retailers at 43, while some low-deprivation suburbs like St Heliers had none.
‘Stores within stores undermined efforts to curb exposure to youth’ – researcher
Study author and public health researcher Dr Robin van der Sanden told RNZ:
“It really is about wanting to maintain access to what are essentially the most appealing vape products, and the products that sell the best and most widely, which really are your fruit flavours [and] your lolly flavours.”
Regulations needed to balance accessibility for people who wanted vapes to quit smoking, while limiting exposure to young people and non-smokers.
Moves to set up vape stores within liquor stores drew concern from alcohol harm prevention groups last year, while the vaping industry argued liquor store age restrictions would likely limit exposure to young people.
Van der Sanden said stores within stores undermined efforts to curb exposure to youth, particularly in areas already facing greater health inequities.
“Kids are popping in and out of the dairy to buy an ice cream after school and as a result, they are coming into contact with that vape retail environment, and they’re seeing people exiting that little vape store carrying quite a cool, brightly coloured looking vape package,” she said.
From a policy perspective, she said, changes to close this loophole could have “a really noticeable impact”.
Associate Health Minister Casey Costello, whose portfolio vaping falls into, told RNZ specialist stores were not supposed to have products displayed outside them, nor were under-18s allowed in them.
“If they’re breaking those laws, that’s an enforcement issue and there has been a significant increase in enforcement capacity and activity over the last two years to back up these changes.”
“Overall, the latest statistics show that youth vaping is continuing to reduce, as are our smoking rates. However, we need a more coherent and sensible regulatory regime around tobacco and nicotine products to better address the harm from smoking and I’ll be interested to see this research and any suggestions.”
Vaping Industry Association also wants loophole addressed
The Vaping Industry Association (VIANZ) told RNZ they, too, thought the loophole needed to be addressed.
In a statement, chairperson Jonathan Devery said the group supported the intent of regulations to reduce youth exposure, while maintaining access for adults seeking an alternative to smoking.
He said it was clear the store-within-a-store model had emerged as an unintended consequence of the current framework, “and we believe this loophole should be addressed to ensure the regulatory system operates as originally intended”.
Specialist vape retail should reflect genuine, standalone specialist premises with robust age-verification and compliance standards, not hybrid formats that blur the line with general retail, he said.
“We are committed to working constructively with regulators to strengthen the integrity of the specialist retail model while continuing to protect adult access to regulated, smoke-free alternatives.”
New Zealand’s Alice Robinson competes in the Women’s Super G event of the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup 2025-2026, in St. Moritz.FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP
Alpine skiier Alice Robinson’s hopes of securing a medal at the Super Giant Slalom finals have been dashed after a great start to the season.
However, Robinson did manage to compete the run – a feat which eluded favourites like Germany’s Emma Aicher and Italy’s Sofia Goggia – on Thursday night at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
The 24-year-old is competing in her third Olympics, securing her first career win in the opening event of the season in St Moritz, followed by a second-place finish a week later in Val d’Isère.
She became New Zealand’s youngest-ever Winter Olympian when she attended the 2018 games in South Korea at the age of 16.
Italy’s Federica Brignone sealed an astonishing comeback from career-threatening injury to win gold on home snow.
Known as the “Tiger” for her ferocious determination, the 35-year-old had looked doubtful for the Games after a crash last April but fought back to fitness and produced one of her greatest runs on a foggy Olimpia delle Tofane piste.
France’s Romane Miradoli took silver, 0.41 of a second slower, with Austria’s Cornelia Huetter third, according to provisional results.
– RNZ / Reuters
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
Citizen journalists bring to our attention the truths that we need to know. Being a witness to such truths is different to doom scrolling. It is about awareness.
This is about knowing the truths that the people who run this deteriorating world, want to hide.
Victims everywhere are begging to be heard and seen. And some people are revealing these truths. Some are trained in journalism, some are freelancing because the mainstream is not the clear clean truth stream, and some are self-trained.
The role of filming and reporting the truth is vital in an era when books are banned, when the names of predators are redacted, when the people at the top are part of an oligarchy that supports murder and rape.
A couple of years ago — almost to the day — I was pepper sprayed by a frontline policeman for filming police brutality against peaceful protesters standing on the footpath in Lyttelton Aotearoa New Zealand.
In that situation police seized people and hurled them to the ground. In other instances, as with human rights activist, John Minto, they seized baffled people and hauled them onto the road.
The men and women in blue vests and black gloves, formed a scrum over each seized civilian. They pummelled and beat them viciously, and hauled them into vans. Minto suffered a gash down his forehead.
Nightmares last longer Others had similar wounds and thanks to the direct illegal use of pepper spray, many suffered a sense like glass in their eyes. In my experience, those painful symptoms lasted weeks. The nightmares lasted longer.
Early last year, I was banned from my own Town Hall for witnessing the State of the Nation speech by Winston Peters. One of that leader’s loyal fans complained that I was taking notes. I produced my press card. Made no difference.
I witnessed a leader inciting hatred. Witnessing. The security guards banned me. The police upheld the ban. I am a multi-award winning reporter who has reported from conflict zones around the world. And I see the conflict increasing.
In the United States, in Europe, in Australia, in Aotearoa New Zealand, what are we learning?
The right to support the right of all human beings to live on their land is decreed a crime by our leaders. Why? Because some have more than others and they want to protect their “more” and push others to have less, even nothing.
These are the actions of totalitarian capitalist regimes intent on retaining power over the land, the rivers, and all the waterways.
We see it in the US with ICE killing a woman who was poet and a mother, we see it in the killing of a nurse, and all the disappearances, people — including children — hauled off streets and “disappeared”.
Police kicking 2 women We see it with police kicking and beating two women wearing abayas in the Netherlands. If they are assaulting women in public we can be certain they are also molesting women behind the public gaze.
We see totalitarian push back against human rights in Germany and France, Australia and New Zealand.
Let’s call this flagrant attack on democracy what it is.
It is imperialism. Yes I know, it sounds like I’m recalling Thatcher. But hey she never went away. Her Daddy abused her friends and she loved him. Thatcher was an abuse enabler.
Like Blair. Like Trump. Like other abusers who hold power. It is no surprise that many of these leaders who were raised by power hungry predators, become predators. They exploit others.
Really it is a very simple equation. Democracy is impossible under financial imperialist capitalism.
Imperialism upholds the right of one people to reign supreme over another. We aren’t talking about something that ended over a hundred years ago. We are talking about something that is being perpetuated now.
Shameful exploitation And by now, those of us who are descended by people who usurped and enslaved, are coming to a difficult conclusion — that it is shameful, this history of exploitation.
As one Quaker researcher said: “What I have learned is that if my ancestors were not as radical for human rights as I have hoped, I can at least be different, be radical for human rights now.”
Greed, predatory behaviour is handed down from predator to predator. It used to favour the oldest son. Now it just faces those prepared to sell out to buy in.
Mercenary capitalist entrepreneurs control society and they govern our countries. The brutes who exploit are connected.
So back to the streets. Back to what some reporters saw and reported and what others who aren’t real reporters, failed to report.
Let’s pick apart the claims of incitement. Incitement for what?
Chanting crime The authorities in NSW deem that it should be a crime for any citizen to chant these words.
From.
The.
River.
To.
The.
Sea.
What next? Will Jews be told they can no longer chant in Hebrew: le shana haba b’yerulashaem. See the parallel.
Next.
Year.
In.
Jerusalem.
Every year Jews around the world chant — as they have for decades and decades — the vow that next year they will be in Jerusalem. They lived in Europe. They lived in the US.
And this they chanted.
Perhaps that is why it bothers Zionists and supporters of genocide. But it wasn’t a return.
Jews who recite this are Europeans and Americans, New Zealanders and Australians.
When they talk of exile, they are talking in mythological proportions, invoking the Bible and tribalism, Goliath and David.
Zionist regime supreme But one group is reigning supreme. The Zionist regime has pushed thousands of Palestinians out of their homes, and murdered tens and tens and tens and tens of thousands, and still this genocide continues.
But has New South Wales deemed it a crime for Jews to chant “next year in Jerusalem”?
No.
Nor should it. People have the right to chant.
But let’s understand the real history, rather than the propaganda pumped out by a multi million dollar US-Israeli think thank.
Thanks to very real anti-semitism, Europe did not want to rehome Jewish refugees from the Holocaust. Britain helped out with an imperialist Zionist strategy that pushed Palestinians out of their homes.
Some Jews fled, refused to do what had been done to them. Good on those Jews. And good on those Jews around the world who stand for societies that care and share, that don’t steal and kill.
I am worried about the implications of any law that bans a chant by exiled people. Will it become a crime for any group of people to chant about their desire to return to lands from which they were exiled?
Governments around the world are leaning that way. They stomp down on Indigenous people, on refugees, on immigrants. They protect their excessive power and privilege.
Blaming immigrants It’s very popular among these regimes to blame immigrants who come from land that was raped and raided by imperialism. Just tune into our ageing playboy Winston Peters.
Make no mistake under regimes such as this, no one is safe. No one.
It is clearly a crime for others to stand alongside those who have been oppressed and exiled, so will it one day be deemed a crime to talk about ALL the stolen children? Like the stolen indigenous children? The children born in a certain place, on certain land, near a river, near the sea.
Will it be a crime to talk about those abused in state homes?
“No peace without justice, no justice without return.” Image: SE
Will the imperialist histories be redacted? Oh they are. The narrative is changed. The victims can barely survive.
I witnessed some of this so I can remind myself and I can remind you.
When I first went to Israel in 1982 the Begin regime invaded Lebanon. Desecrated people dreaming under cypress trees.
The Israeli Offence Force assisted then, in the genocide, of around 3000 children, women, and men — Palestinians — in refugee camps.
Evil massacre It was a bloodbath, an evil massacre carried out under stealth, at night. The victims did not have a chance. They had no one to defend them. They were murdered by mercenary Israeli soldiers.
One Israeli soldier, Ari Folman, later made a film, Waltz with Bashir which depicts how he came to realise he was among the soldiers who surrounded the camps and fired flares to illuminate the area for the Lebanese Christian Philangist militia.
Like most soldiers, he was only “following orders”. It haunted him.
The ghosts of every massacre carried out by every totalitarian state like Israel haunt the world. And every regime that supports it is responsibile.
Imperialism is the bloodstain that won’t wash out until the notion of super and special entitlement due to race or class or religion is extinguished.
It is racist and classist and it is wrong.
I wrote my novel The Seasonwife because I wanted to show the truth — that people down the bottom rungs of the class system were exploited by those at the top to exploit indigenous people.
Criminalised the poor We need to know these truths. And they can be proved. Settler colonialism is not a pretty policy, it was dreamed up by a country that created poverty and criminalised the poor. It sent them out to do its dirty work. Oh some rode on those waves but others were submerged. And Indigenous people lost their rights.
Here in Aotearoa a Treaty was forged, a treaty which clearly gives Indigenous people the right to rangatiratanga. And successive legal acts pushed indigenous people down, breached the principles of that partnership.
When one partner is the abuser the partnership is not equal.
We must remember the crimes of imperialism. We must. Because the past is now.
The massacres of Palestinians is an extension of every colonial crime. The crimes are connected: slavery; forced servitude; exile due to poverty; apartheid, assimilation, extermination.
It is a thread from this ocean to that river to that ocean. From here to there. From Europe to the Levant and the Middle East. All the greed-mongers benefit.
The crimes against Palestinians have been going on for more than seven decades. Research the Nakba. Before the British aided and mounted a violent rape-and-kill takeover, Muslims and Jews and Christians worshipped alongside each other in Palestine. It is easy enough to find documentary evidence of this pleasant land on YouTube.
Look at it now. Look at the difference between Haifa or Tel Aviv and Gaza.
Standing against supremacy Any Jew who has a soul, who has a conscience, will not stand for the slaughter of innocents or for the creation of a white apartheid supremely state. In the US most Jews are against this, and increasingly so are Jews in Australia and New Zealand, standing up against the supremacy of Zionism.
And Christians need to stand too. It is KKK fundamentalist to support the extermination of people. There is nothing holy in supporting theft and expulsion and the gunning down of women, children, and men.
When we invoke laws that support genocide we create a soul-less compassionless society.
A truly Humanist, Animist, any Values-based system will create a society with laws that uphold rather than extinguish, human rights.
It was a white Australian male who used his inheritance to kill 51 people praying at two mosques in Christchurch New Zealand. The Iman who greeted him at the door welcomed him as “a brother”.
It was a Muslim man who risked his life and suffered terrible injuries while tackling two ISIS-inspired extremist gunmen at Bondi Beach in Sydney. That Muslim man stepped in front of a gun to defend Jewish children, women, and men.
I met many such kind, brave, peace-loving men when I lived in the Middle East and I experienced the utmost hospitality from Muslims.
I differentiate between all people and their regimes.
Greed in common The regimes that uphold human rights violations are all connected. They all have one thing in common: greed.
Their rulers are predators.
Israel is a US-supported state responsible for mass murder, for genocide, for apartheid, for stealing children decade after decade.
Every government that has failed to denounce that State of Hate is acting against the right of people — all people — to real and precious freedom.
Once again, I call down my Jewish ancestors who experienced, as I have, anti-semitism — in standing against the supremacism that is Zionism.
I stand with Jews Against Zionism. I stand with Jews for Peace. I stand with Jews Against Genocide.
I stand with Jews who support the right of Palestinians to return. Yes to the land, yes to that beautiful river, and to that precious sea. I stand with their right to live where they want to live.
Right to protest And I stand with the right of all citizens to protest. I stand with the right of citizen journalists to film and report human rights violations.
In my social media posts I continually put aggressive impulsive patriarchal police on notice. I let them know that violence by people who are supposed to protect, is unacceptable. Their actions could lead to them being incarcerated.
Maybe not now, not yet, but one day. Their violent actions could certainly lead to them being jobless.
Their violent actions will be seen over and over again. The truth won’t be erased.
And I say this to mainstream reporters, please do your job. Join a union and oppose the patriarchy that presents propaganda as truth. Some reporters on the ground in Sydney who said they saw violence by the police and no violence from protesters, but the BBC and RNZ changed that narrative.
News presenters who were not present at the scene presented a skewed version provided by their government. They became a mouthpiece for propaganda. And in doing so they supported totalitarianism.
Reporters must not be mouthpieces for what one commentator so aptly described as the Broligarchy. Predators.
Out of police The policeman who pepper sprayed me, two years ago, when I took footage of assaults against peaceful civilians by violent police, is no longer in the force. Perhaps he has joined the great raft of unemployed.
I would like to think he can be educated into compassion, that he can learn, that the hard look in his eye will one day be softened when he holds a brown grandchild in his arms.
Think twice police. Think twice reporters. Think twice every one who reads this.
Would you want your children to support all human rights? Do you think words like river and sea and return should be banned? Do you think the colour of the grass and the colour of a rose should be denounced as evil?
Do you think people should have the right to live on their land unmolested? Do you think the land and the waterways should be respected or bombed to dust, drained for its minerals?
Do you believe in freedom? If you do, then know that those who are upholding the right of one people to strip the rights of others, will not leave it there.
These totalitarian leaders are united. As one commentator put it, they are the broligarchy. They are connected. They are predators. And they will use force to shut you up and shut you down.
But I hold hope.
Moral weapon — the truth Every citizen journalist who films human rights crimes being carried out by the arm of the government is armed with a valuable moral weapon: the truth.
Every citizen journalist reporting these truths is a hero.
The truth might be redacted, those who speak it or shout it might become victims, but in calling it out, they fall on the side of freedom and they will be remembered.
Freedom will come. Because it must. The greed mongers who rule must not prevail.
When the truths of victims is heard, the predators lose the narrative, and then they lose their power.
We are all connected in the lifestream of this tiny, precious blue planet. A spark is born and that spark is creativity, it is the spark that rises from destruction and despair.
Never stop witnessing Harmony. Peace, and Tranquility is possible if our goal is cooperative living.
So be a witness, and never stop witnessing. Raise your voice, raise your heart and your soul. We are all connected and related because we are all brothers and sisters and cousins, spinning on this spinning orb, sparks in the eye of the universe.
Sparks of creativity are born in societies where nurturers are valued rather than predators and exploiters.
In such a world, peace will prevail.
One fine day.
Saige England is an award-winning journalist and author ofThe Seasonwife, a novel exploring the brutal impacts of colonisation. She is also a contributor to Asia Pacific Report.
Amnesty International Australia has condemned the “unnecessary and disproportionate” and “shocking” use of force by the NSW police against peaceful protesters demonstrating against the visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to Australia.
In a statement, it said the human rights organisation strongly opposed the unnecessary and excessive force used by police, and called for an urgent, independent investigation of police conduct.
“The rights to freedom of expression and assembly are protected under international law,” the statement said.
“As a state party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), Australia has a clear obligation to respect and uphold these fundamental human rights — this includes facilitating people exercising their right to peaceful protest.”
At least 10,000 people gathered in the Sydney Town Hall Square — although other sources said thousands more were prevented from joining the main demonstration — to protest against Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s four-day visit and to demand justice and accountability for the political leader.
In an earlier statement, Amnesty International said the Israeli President who Amnesty, the International Court of Justice and the UN Independent Commission of Enquiry had determined had overseen and directly incited genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, resulting in more than 70,000 deaths, should be investigated.
At Monday night’s protest in Sydney, at least 27 people were arrested, and many suffered from and were subjected to extreme and unnecessary police violence.
Police targeting Amnesty International Australia said it was “deeply alarmed” by reports of police targeting already vulnerable and marginalised communities.
“First Nations Peoples, Muslim worshippers and leaders, as well as elderly protesters, were among those subjected to police use of force, including the use of pepper spray, police on horseback charging into crowds, and officers boxing protesters in with no avenue to safely disperse before launching attacks.
“The right to protest is protected under international law. What we witnessed last night was a serious assault on those rights and a deeply troubling display of State-sanctioned violence.”
— Amnesty International Australia’s Occupied Palestinian Territory Spokesperson, Mohamed Duar
“Scenes of police officers using excessive force on Muslim worshippers who were peacefully praying are shocking,” it said.
Amnesty called for accountability and for the protection of freedom of religion. Protesters who had their hands raised and were clearly surrendering were subjected to punches and disproportionate force.
Amnesty activists and supporters, including teenagers, sustained injuries after being surrounded by police at Sydney Town Hall and prevented from leaving, before being charged from all sides.
The excessive use of force by police occurred against the backdrop of recent rushed protest laws passed by the NSW Parliament.
Amnesty warned that these laws risk criminalising peaceful protest and enabling arbitrary and discriminatory enforcement, particularly against vulnerable and marginalised communities.
“The events of last night demonstrate that our fears were well-founded,” the statement said.
‘State-sanctioned violence’ Amnesty International Australia’s Occupied Palestinian Territory Spokesperson Mohamed Duar said: “The right to protest is protected under international law. What we witnessed last night was a serious assault on those rights and a deeply troubling display of state-sanctioned violence.
“Police brutality and the use of excessive force by police have no place in Australia.
“Law enforcement officials should be protecting people’s right to protest, not violently suppressing peaceful protest and harming those demonstrating.
“As Australia rolled out the red carpet for Isaac Herzog, tens of thousands of people took to the streets to demand accountability for the genocide he has incited and overseen against Palestinians over the past two years.
“The NSW government is more concerned with punishing those protesting genocide, occupation and apartheid than those responsible for these war crimes.”
Sussan Ley always seemed set to be only an interim Liberal leader. If, as is likely, Angus Taylor wins the ballot on Friday morning, he could suffer the same fate.
Taylor as leader would be under intense heat in coming months. He would be stalked by the ambitious Andrew Hastie, who had wanted to be the one taking on Ley, before he was told by the conservative faction’s leadership to step back.
Ley has had much less than a year to try to prove herself. So how did the Liberals’ first female leader find herself on the canvas so quickly and dramatically?
Some of her problems have been self-imposed, reflecting her own limitations. Others have come from the circumstances in which she found herself.
In a nutshell, Ley has failed to project leadership authority. But she is also a victim of the Liberal Party’s deep internal ideological fracture, leaving what it stands for a void. The combination has prompted a huge slump in its support, with the related surge of One Nation.
Add to this the difficulties posed by the Nationals. Ley emerged from the two Coalition splits looking better than Nationals leader David Littleproud. But the crises, especially the most recent one centred on the Nationals defiance of shadow cabinet solidarity, took a toll on her.
From the beginning, Ley faced relentless undermining, from critics within the party, right-wing commentators, and the bad and worsening opinion polls.
In the divided party, the conservatives are dominant. They overwhelm the branches and have a clear edge among the parliamentarians.
Yet Ley, from the small centre-right faction, managed last May to win the leadership, with the backing of the moderates. Many of the conservatives never accepted this outcome.
Ley was quickly taken hostage. Once a supporter of net zero, she had to accept the party’s overthrow of the commitment. The policy change was probably inevitable. But Ley failed to get ahead of the issue, or state her own view before hearing everyone else’s. It left her looking weak.
She has been under constant criticism for not bringing forward policies. Partly this comes from the (accurate) perception that she does not personally have a strong policy framework. She’s a politician who shifts with the sands.
While the demand for policy is to an extent reasonable, it is not entirely so. The Dutton opposition was appallingly inadequate in formulating policy – late and lazy. But it also unrealistic to demand an opposition that’s been substantially wiped out at an election have an extensive policy slate within months.
The opinion polls have been a major weapon used in the assault on Ley. In modern times, polls have invariably been central in leadership choices. Nowadays they operate on steroids, and there are many more of them.
Key conservative James Paterson delivered a stark warning on Thursday:
Almost five million Australians voted for us. They put their trust in us. Over the last nine months, according to the most recent opinion polls, 2.1 million of those people have since deserted the Coalition. That’s more than 200,000 votes a month. It’s more than 50,000 votes a week. It’s more than 7,000 votes a day. This cannot go on. If it goes on, there’ll be nothing left of the Liberal Party by the next election.
There used to be an old line that behind every successful man is a strong woman. In a leadership battle, behind every candidate you’ll find a factional heavyweight or two. The contemporary Liberal Party is as factionalised as Labor ever was, even in its heyday of players such as the late Graham Richardson.
Taylor’s leading factional “second” is Paterson, a senator from Victoria; Ley has Alex Hawke, who as part of the centre-right faction once was Scott Morrison’s “spear carrier” (Morrison’s description).
Paterson in opposition has stood out as a strong performer, inside the parliament (especially in Senate estimates) and in the media.
Recent weeks have highlighted his factional role, most publicly at that Melbourne meeting attended by Hastie, Taylor, fellow right-wing factional player Senator Jonno Duniam, and former MP Michael Sukkar. The meeting had been called to sort out who would challenge Ley. Paterson was central in demonstrating to Hastie that he did not have the necessary support.
Hawke, who once belonged to the hard right in New South Wales, has a chequered history and is deeply unpopular with a wide range of Liberals. He acted for Morrison in delaying some preselections in NSW before the 2022 election (which backfired on the then prime minister). As Ley’s numbers man he helped her win the leadership and has been a tactical adviser in the mounting crisis of recent weeks. One of the key staffers in her office is seen as a “Hawke man”.
People ask: has Ley been a victim of sexism? If we think back to the harsh treatment dealt out to various leaders, probably not in terms of substance. But it is hard to avoid the conclusion she has been treated with more disrespect than a man would have been. The plotting has been extraordinarily open. Those seeking to bring her down haven’t even felt the need to whisper behind their hands.
It’s notable that two high-profile Liberal women have been to the fore in the move on Ley’s leadership: Jane Hume, a moderate, and Sarah Henderson, a conservative. Both are Victorian senators. Each had senior jobs on Peter Dutton’s frontbench: Hume was finance spokeswomen (a role in which she formed a bond with Taylor). Henderson was shadow minister for education. Ley excluded both women when she formed her shadow ministry.
Who is rewarded and who is penalised when frontbench jobs are handed out often has political fallout.
One thing to watch for in a Taylor front bench would be who is not in, and whether they would be likely to cause trouble.
Also significant, in the event of Ley losing, will be whether she says she will stay in parliament for the rest of the term. A byelection in her regional NSW seat of Farrer, if there were a strong independent candidate, could be ugly for a new leader.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A bevy of Liberal frontbenchers supporting Angus Taylor’s leadership challenge resigned their positions on Thursday, ahead of Friday’s 9am party vote.
With momentum moving towards Taylor, his backers and those of Sussan Ley were working on the relatively small number of people whose votes were regarded as in play.
The Ley camp said she would not resign.
The concern for the Taylor camp was not the actual leadership vote, but to ensure support for the preceding vote to get a “spill” of the leadership. A few Liberals committed to voting for Taylor were more equivocal about voting for the spill motion.
The Taylor camp pointed out that if the spill were to fail, it would simply be put again when parliament was back in a fortnight. Meanwhile, frontbenchers who had quit would not go back into the shadow ministry, so the situation would be chaotic for Ley.
The resignations were spread over the day. They included:
James Paterson (shadow minister for finance)
Jonno Duniam (shadow minister for home affairs)
Michaelia Cash (shadow foreign minister)
Dan Tehan (shadow minister for energy and emissions reduction)
James McGrath (shadow special minister of state)
Matt O’Sullivan (shadow assistant minister for infrastructure)
Phil Thompson (shadow assistant minister for the NDIS and defence)
Claire Chandler (shadow minister for cyber security and science)
Leah Blyth (shadow assistant minister for stronger families and stronger communities)
Dean Smith (Shadow Assistant Minister for Energy, Emissions Reduction, Foreign Affairs and Trade).
Paterson, a conservative factional chief, said the polls showed votes had been lost at a rate of more than 200,000 a month. If this went on “there’ll be nothing left of the Liberal Party by the next election”.
Paterson described Taylor as “the smartest policy brain in the shadow cabinet. He is a man of deep conviction and courage and values.”
“Angus understands that this is a change or die moment for the Liberal Party. We must change or we will not continue to exist,” Paterson said.
Taylor issued a video in which he said “I believe we need strong and decisive leadership that gives Australians clarity, courage, and confidence in providing a vision for the future”.
Ley put out multiple social media posts.
The position of deputy leader is being keenly contested, with the present deputy, Ted O’Brien, coming under challenge from Tehan and Senator Jane Hume, a backbencher who was finance spokeswoman last term. The deputy leader gets to choose their own portfolio.
If Hume won, she would be the first deputy to be in the Senate since Fred Chaney, who was deputy under Andrew Peacock in 1989-90.
Fellow Victorian senator Sarah Henderson said Hume “is a magnificent woman. She is very experienced. Of course she is a Victorian senator. She has been a great advocate for our party and for our country. She has a wonderful track record and I do think that we need to promote a senior woman.”
Cash said: “Following the events of recent days I believe the matter of the Liberal Party Leadership needs to be brought to a head.”
She said she was not resigning as Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, “a role bestowed upon me by the Senate party room”.
In his resignation statement Duniam said, “I have consistently and publicly said over the last two weeks that the commentary and debate relating to internal party matters, especially the Liberal Leadership, must come to an end”.
Michelle Grattan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The jetboat sank on the Waiau River. File picture.123RF
An investigation is underway into the sinking of a Fiordland Jet commercial jetboat on the Waiau River, Maritime New Zealand says.
It happened on Tuesday afternoon, and Maritime New Zealand staff are talking to people, examining the vessel and the scene of the incident, reviewing documents and gathering information.
There were 13 people on board, including 11 passengers, a guide and the driver. No one was injured.
Once assessments are completed, it will decide if action will be taken.
Sky TV says it conducted a full investigation into the issue.Supplied / Richard Parsonson
Sky TV is apologising for what it says is a processing error that meant some Sky Sport Now annual pass customers were not given enough information about their contracts rolling over.
RNZ reported last year that some customers were not happy they did not receive notice of the automatic rollover of their contracts, including the information that they would shift from the promotional price of $365 a year to a new rate of $549.
“I emailed within two hours of our card being charged yesterday to see if they would offer us the promotion, but they have not and are sticking to charging us the full $549,” one customer said.
“I am particularly concerned regarding the price aspect here, and whether an annual rollover is fair when the price of the contract increases by 50 percent. We can’t find any notice of that price increase either.”
Sky TV said this week it had looked into the issue and conducted a full investigation.
“Due to a process error, we didn’t send some Sky Sport Now Annual Pass customers – those whose pass renewed between June 6 and December 15, 2025, the usual reminder email before renewal.
“This should have been sent 30 days before payment was taken and would have both confirmed the renewal and notified them of the new Annual Pass price of $549.99 effective from March 21, 2025.
“We’re sorry for this and are taking steps to make it right.”
The Sky TV spokesperson said affected customers had been sent an apology email.
This would also let them know they would receive a $50 refund, which took them back to the standard price before the price increase.
“We have also let these customers know that if they don’t wish to continue with their annual pass, they can choose to cancel their pass early. Customers who opt for this will receive a pro rata refund but will lose access to Sky Sport Now from the day of cancellation.
“Finally, we have let customers to know that we are sorry this has happened, we’ve fixed the issue and have strengthened our renewal notification processes to avoid this happening again.”
A beloved early 2000s heart-throb, Dawson’s Creek actor James Van Der Beek never shook off the character that shot him to fame.
But how he leaned into it, playing himself in Don’t Trust the B in Apartment 3 and numerous other cameos, enshrined his legacy as one of TV’s most sensitive leading men, baring his soul on and off the screen.
“It’s tough to compete with something that was the cultural phenomenon that Dawson’s Creek was,” he told Vulture in 2013.
“It ran for so long. That’s a lot of hours playing one character in front of people. So it’s natural that they associate you with that.”
James Van Der Beek, star of Dawson’s Creek, has died. The news was shared in an Instagram post.
Instagram
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
The school block destroyed in a suspected arson is being demolished.Taupō-nui-a-Tia College
Students from a Taupō secondary school that lost a classroom block in a suspected arson will continue learning from home next week.
Roads around Taupō-nui-a-Tia College, on Spa Road, were closed for about four hours on Sunday while firefighters battled the blaze.
Since Monday the school’s 1200 students have been doing lessons online at home.
Principal Ben Claxton said demolition of the destroyed block began on Tuesday and was continuing – meaning students couldn’t yet return.
“The demolition was expected to take a while and for all sorts of health and safety reasons we’ve asked our students to remain home for the remainder of this week and next week, at this point.
“We’re going to review it on Wednesday.”
Principal Ben Claxton says students will continue to learn online into next week.RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham
The destroyed classroom block had 11 teaching spaces, as well as housing the school’s health and counselling services.
Claxton said he expected online learning to ramp up next week, and the school would communicate its expectations about that.
“Learning from home is a good option to have, but nothing beats face to face, so we are literally today starting to look at what we can do for the rest of the year.”
Some students and staff members were affected by what had happened and on Wednesday staff came together to share stories and plan for the future.
Although, Claxton said this week had been negotiated step by step, especially when the school was still in crisis mode.
Firefighters could be seen on the roof at Taupō-nui-a-Tia College during the fire.LES WILLS / SUPPLIED
In the short term some classes could be held in a nearby tertiary institution, which had volunteered its space. Claxton said that was getting finalised.
“The medium to long term is we’re hopeful of getting some form of relocatable-classroom situation onsite, to the number that we need.
“That’s all happening in the background with the ministry at the moment.”
Claxton said rebuilding projects could take time to plan and then begin.
A Ministry of Education spokesperson said it was exploring a range of temporary classroom options.
“The school continues to deliver online learning while the site is cleared and the best approach is determined.
“We understand the significant impact the fire has had on staff, students, and the wider community, and we are working with urgency to make sure any disruption to teaching and learning is minimised.”
A Checkpoint investigation has revealed how easy it is to get potentially dangerous nitrous oxide or nangs in large quantities from dairies, vape stores and convenience stores.
The gas has legitimate medical uses and is also used in catering to whip cream, however it is illegal to supply, possess or use the gas recreationally.
Checkpoint visited 16 stores across three areas in Auckland and found at least half were willing to sell canisters of the gas in a range of sizes with virtually no checks.
One vape store sold 1.1L and 3.3L canisters of the gas, for $50 and $150 respectively. It also offered a “combo” price of $170 for the pair.
At another dairy visited by Checkpoint, the shop keeper had a range of products available to buy – from packs of the small, silver tubes of nitrous oxide to the larger, thermos-sized 1.1L canister. The shop-keeper also said the 1.1L was the most popular size.
Several dairies offered packs of the silver tubes, with prices ranging from $10 for the 10-pack to about $60 for a 50-pack.
The gas was also available to purchase on its own, without cream dispensers. Only one dairy clarified verbally that the canisters were only to be “used for baking”.
Nitrous oxide products available to purchase one of the stores visited by Checkpoint in Auckland.RNZ / Teuila Fuatai
Doctors and community leaders have been particularly concerned about the availability of the thermos-sized 1.1L and 3.3L canisters.
Dr Nicholas Jones is the medical officer of health in Hawke’s Bay, where two cases of nerve damage have recently been linked to huffing of nitrous oxide.
At a recent community meeting on the issue, he said people were alarmed to hear that recycling services in the region were collecting around 300kg of empty canisters a fortnight.
That does suggest “there’s quite a significant amount of this being used”, he said.
Large canisters of nitrous oxide can be easily purchased.Supplied
While nitrous oxide has traditionally been viewed at the lower end of the harm-spectrum for psychoactive substances, Jones highlighted the potential risks around large amounts of the gas being accessible and available.
“What seems to have changed recently is the availability of these large canisters, you know, up to 3.3L of gas, whereas in the past people may have used the small silver canisters about, I think it’s about 8 grams or something, a relatively low amount.”
“You’re able to then actually access 3.3L, you could be using it for a prolonged period of time over a long period of time.”
That increased risks significantly, he said.
Dr Nicholas Jones.RNZ / Anusha Bradley
“Although it’s not known for being a drug that causes, you know, psychological dependence, obviously the longer you use it and the more you use it, the higher the risk of, you know, becoming dependent on it.
“With chronic use you can start developing nerve damage associated with vitamin B12 deficiency.”
He suspected this could become more common, especially as people may not understand the risks of nitrous oxide-use.
“One of the problems is that people may be ringing up with concerns, health concerns, but not necessarily identifying the fact that they’re associated with, you know, the use of nitrous oxide.”
Checkpoint also spoke to a woman whose adult child became a heavy user of nitrous oxide last year.
The woman asked to remain anonymous but wanted to share her family’s experience in the hope more could be done to prevent abuse of the substance.
She said her daughter became hooked the gas and was using the large, thermos-sized canisters.
It caused physical problems for her daughter like anaemia, numbness in the her fingers and toes, and issues with bumping into things, she said.
Her daughter also ended up in hospital because of nerve damage, and the addiction had severe mental health impacts and led to self-harm.
The woman said the family found the gas was being purchased from a vape store.
When they went in to see what checks were in place, they found customers were asked to write down their name and the intended use for their purchase on a piece of paper.
She said people had written down names like “John Smith” and that they wanted the gas for a “21st birthday cake”
The woman said police investigated the store, which was eventually closed down. However, she remained concerned about the availability of the gas, and pointed out the closed-vape shop was simply one outlet selling nitrous-oxide products.
She also said her daughter had recovered after quitting “cold turkey” and getting help. The family now want the government to be more proactive and shut down illegal sales.
For anyone affected by issues discussed in this story, free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor. Or call 0800 Lifeline or text HELP to 4357.
A baby was the person killed in a devastating crash involving a car and school bus in the Hawke’s Bay township of Wairoa.
The collision happened at about 3pm on State Highway 2 on Tuesday, at the intersection of Black Street and Archilles Street.
A person in the car, which RNZ sources have confirmed was a baby, died and two others in it were left fighting for their lives.
Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said he had heard that a baby had died in the “horrendous crash” and that the close-knit community was completely devastated.
“It has just causes absolute devastation, and Wairoa is a small town, everyone knows everybody.
“The whole town is in shock to be quite honest, we are just here in whatever way or form to look after these families who are really going through a hard time, and that’s even the bus driver as well.
“These families will probably never get over this.”
Little said he had spoken to family, locals and emergency services.
“Everybody is struggling with this one, they are all well known families, good families.”
Little said no one really knows how the crash happened and that it was a very odd accident.
Only minor injuries were reported from the driver and two passengers on the school bus.
The Ministry of Education said it had engaged a traumatic incident team to work with the school that had its students on the bus.
Moeaia Tuai was sentenced to jail for more than 16 years on Thursday.RNZ / Marika Khabazi
This story discusses details of slavery and sexual abuse.
Two young people have told how they were held in slavery by an Auckland man for several years.
Former prison officer Moeaia Tuai, who is 63, was found guilty by a jury last year of two charges of slavery, two counts of rape and a string of other sexual assaults. He was on Thursday jailed for more than 16 years.
In a victim statement, one of the complainants said he took her youthful happiness, her voice and virginity, and she sometimes felt like her soul had left her body. “A lot of the time, I wish I wasn’t here,” she said, adding she wished she was living a normal girl’s dreams and living her life.
“But sadly, instead, I am one of those girls fighting demons and emotions I don’t deserve, every day,” she said.
“I find it very hard to communicate with others because I was always stopped from speaking with anyone and everyone… I often have flashbacks that just hold me back and I’d rather be home alone.
“To hear my mother’s heartbreak after 10 plus years of being kept apart – my mother’s first time in New Zealand was for a court case.”
She described Tuai and his relatives as a “narcissistic and hypocritical family”.
Suppression orders prevent any information likely to identify the victims from being published.
The second victim, a young man, spoke through tears about the good Samaritans who helped him when he ran away, frightened and not able to sleep at night.
The High Court in Auckland was packed with family and friends of Tuai and his victims, with several crying while the details of the offending were read out.
‘False testimony’
“My parents are now trying to rebuild the good life that was broken because of these people… A glass that has been shattered into tiny pieces cannot be put back together again.”
He spoke through an interpreter to the defendant and his relatives – some of whom gave evidence to the jury, but also faced allegations during the trial that they too were involved in the offending.
“To anyone who has given false testimony here, I pray that you feel repentance in your heart. A glass that has been shattered into tiny pieces cannot be put back together again.”
Only Tuai has been charged in connection to the offending, which occurred from 2016 to 2024.
The court heard he might face poor treatment, and need to be segregated if prisoners found out he was a Corrections officer.
Justice Michele Wilkinson-Smith was asked to consider whether Tuai could have a shorter sentence because of that, and also due to the effect his sentence would have on his sick wife. She granted a small reduction to the jail term – and noted his wife had also benefited from the offending.
Funding Tuai’s lifestyle
Sentencing Tuai, Wilkinson-Smith said the older complainant had been assured before arriving in New Zealand that he could finish his secondary school education, but he was immediately put to work at a boarding lodge that his wife’s sister owned.
After moving to Australia, Tuai took control of the male complainant’s internet banking, his bank card and passport, allowing him only $100 of his weekly pay for full-time work.
“He was funding your lifestyle,” she told Tuai, saying that only ended when the man ran away and managed to get a new passport to return to New Zealand.
Tuai, his wife and the second victim also returned to New Zealand, where she was told she could not go to school – and instead must supplement his state benefits by working cash in hand jobs.
“At one point, the female victim worked 57 consecutive days without a single day off, including weekends,” Wilkinson-Smith said.
“The evidence for that came from your own diary which recorded her working hours…You were using her as a source of labour and income, as you had previously used the male complainant. She had no autonomy and no access to the money she was earning.”
When she had a formal job, her estimated (lost) wages were $80,000.
Saddled with debts
She was ‘treated as property in every way’ by Tuai, who made her work for free, have sex with him, controlled her movements and restricted her ability to get help or report him.
Before he raped her, he bought alcohol to ply her with, using money from her own bank account.
“It is clear that as far as you were concerned, she was in New Zealand only for your benefit,” Wilkinson-Smith added.
He felt entitled to the money the two earned, ‘drained their bank accounts’ and threatened them with deportation, she said, leaving them saddled with debts through loans they were forced to take out.
Both young people suffered threatened and actual violence, and were told they would lose the right to stay in New Zealand if they did not “obey his orders” or alerted authorities.
The judge said slavery was not a “cultural misunderstanding” and she was worried about how widespread it might be.
“I hope that this case highlights for others that this is slavery. It is not legal. You cannot bring people to New Zealand to exploit them for their labour and income.”
Where to get help:
Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends
Roads around Mauao at Mount Maunganui reopened on Friday 6 February.RNZ/Angie Skerrett
The owner of a Mount Maunganui pizzeria which has only just reopened after the deadly Mauao landslide says revenue is half what it would usually be in summer.
Michele Delaini is the owner of Rustica Italian Food pizzeria on Adams Avenue opposite Mauao which has only just re-opened this week.
He said it was like winter trading conditions at the height of summer.
“We’re lacking like all the people from the campground, the hot pools and definitely like all the people that every day come to the Mount.”
The Mount track was still closed and the streets in the area were very quiet compared to what it was usually like in the summer, he said.
Usually during summer the Mount’s population at least doubles but now the area was lacking visitors and tourists, he said.
It was more like a winter season and the cruise ships were choosing to go elsewhere because people could not explore the Mount, he said.
“It’s just not enough business to be opened all day long, or like what we usually do.”
Delaini said he was having ongoing conversations with Tauranga City Council which was trying to support businesses in the area.
But he said he was not sure if the council alone would be able to bear the cost of helping all the businesses in the affected area.
Central government needed to provide some financial support for businesses, he said.
“For us businesses it’s very hard because summer time is where we collect all the money also for the winter, to carry us through the winter.”
With businesses being hit so hard at the height of the summer, “the government will have to understand that council alone cannot do it,” he said.
Rustica Italian Food pizzeria on Adams Avenue in Mount Maunganui is located opposite Mauao.Google Maps
Businesses were not able to turn to their insurers to fix the situation, he said.
If the business was not directly affected by the disaster but was “closed because of a consequence” only 10 percent of their losses would be covered, he said.
It was very worrying that there was no clear indication of when or if Mount Maunganui or the hot pools would reopen, he said.
Locals were sensitive about the situation and wanted to mourn what had happened, he said.
“There is the dichotomy, so you know like there is the grief and there is the wanting to go back to normal life and it can be challenging.”
But locals are trying to support local businesses and want to see the community return to how it was, he said.
Wellington councillors, national industry groups and drivers are sounding the alarm over immigration settings for bus drivers, warning of a looming shortage.
Drivers have been warning the test is too hard, more than 500 presented a petition to Parliament in January urging the rules to be relaxed.
According to the capital’s bus operator Metlink, the future of about 45 Wellington bus drivers is currently unclear as they try to stay in the country.
Bus drivers applying for residency must score 6.5 in IELTS, a standard international test, or exceed equivalent scores in four other English-language exams.
That’s the same level as many universities require for post-graduate international students.
In a council meeting today, Greater Wellington regional council public transport committee chair Ros Connelly said she’s worried the settings will force drivers to leave the country.
“It’s an extremely high level that involves not only english language understanding, but also comprehension of quite difficult concepts, so this is the problem that we are in, it was misjudged how difficult it would be to get drivers across that threshold.”
Paul Tawharu, senior manager operations at Metlink, told councillors operators were “extremely confident” there was no risk to service, that they had good domestic recruitment plans, and were training people through the system well.
Tauwharu said operators are setting up schools within bus depots to help teach English, and using New Zealand drivers on long-term sick leave to help with other drivers’ language skills.
Connelly said she feared a shortage in two years’ time, when visa extensions run out.
If drivers sit the residency test now, and fail it, they can apply for a visa to stay in New Zealand for two more years, she said.
But if they fail again they’ll be gone.
“I have ongoing concerns that this just kicking the can down the road for another two years and that at the end of that period, they won’t be able to stay in New Zealand and we’ll be back to the situation we were.”
New Zealand was in the grip of a significant driver shortage in 2022 and 2023 which caused regular bus cancellations and suspensions.
In Wellington, in 2022, 59 Metlink weekday bus services were suspended due to a lack of drivers.
The Bus and Coach Association chief executive, Delaney Myers, said no one wants to return to those days.
“In Wellington that got as bad as sometimes almost half of all peak morning services being cancelled or running late, it was incredibly frustrating.
“And our concern is that if we don’t take a long term approach to how we’re going to secure drivers going forward, then we may be in that situation again.”
Myers said no one anticipated the level of difficulty the bus driver residency pathway required, when it was announced in 2022.
She said skilled bus drivers don’t need academic level English to do a good job, and she wanted the government to lower the requirements.
Auckland bus driver Ryan Jay Carumba, who’s from the Phillipines, said he tried sitting the residency test and failed, and is now on a 2-year visa extension.
Carumba said the test was difficult, requiring him to write a 300-word essay in one part of it.
He thinks the level is too high for what the job needs.
“For sure it’s too much for us, personally we do not communicate a lot with passengers, we say good morning, hi, hello, and then if the passengers have some concerns with us they just talk to us, maybe a bit.”
Carumba said seven of his Filipino colleagues have recently left Ritchies, the company he works for, because they couldn’t meet the visa-level English requirements.
Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said she was not considering relaxing the language settings.
She said the pathway had been established under the previous government, and bus drivers had always known it required a higher level of English.
“There is an expectation in New Zealand that people who are staying have a certain level of English, and they need to work to get that.
“I would also say there are hundreds of bus drivers who have met the English standard, who have worked hard, and who have met that standard.”
Stanford said she wasn’t worried about another bus driver shortage, because there were many bus drivers from many parts of the world who will be able to meet the English language requirements.
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
Blues coach Vern Cotter confirmed today that the side he’s named for Saturday night’s season opener is very much in line with what he’s expecting from their opponents. Cotter identified the Chiefs’ ability to change gears in the back end of games.
“We’re very conscious of the Chiefs’ ability to go 60 minutes and apply pressure to have a very good 20 minutes at the end,” he said at Blues training on Thursday.
“I think the bench represents what they intend to do. So locking in for 60 and having players with experience and energy is going to be important to finish this game.”
Chiefs coach Jonno Gibbes has named All Blacks Samipeni Finau and Cortez Ratima to come on in the second half, with Cotter explaining that the decision to select rookie flanker Torian Barnes to start was part of the plan to combat their effectiveness. Barnes will presumably make way for the experienced Anton Segner in the second half.
“Having Anton there is great. He’s glued to the team, he’s experienced he’s good at defensive line outs. He’s good at calling his own lineouts. He can get over a ball when the team seems a little bit tired, he can get those turnovers needed.”
Cotter said that the new law variations, which they have played under for their two preseason hit outs, “haven’t made much of a difference at all”.
“But we don’t think it’ll have a too big effect. I’m sure that there’ll be a referee at some stage or another, will stamp as mark on the game. So we’re prepared.”
Cotter’s selections include Stephen Perofeta at first five, with Beauden Barrett not due back until round four due to All Black rest. Cotter said that Perofeta should play a big role in the Blues’ game.
We want to put in a good performance and Stevie will be key to that. Everybody sitting around and trying to contribute, and Stevie will be directing play, and it’s just nice to have him back in. And with Fin (Christie), a combination at halfback gives us a nice little bit of balance around how we want to control the match.”
The Chiefs are without their first choice first five as well, with Damian McKenzie on paternity leave. Josh Jacomb will wear the 10 jersey, with Xavier Roe starting at halfback.
Christchurch Hospital car park.Supplied / Ngāi Tahu Property
Health New Zealand has dropped plans to charge market rates for hospital car parking.
In a statement, the health agency said it had received “constructive and detailed input from staff during the consultation process”.
It thanked staff for their feedback, and assured them the focus remained on ensuring patients, visitors and staff could access safe, secure, and sufficient parking.
“Any changes to hospital parking must be considered carefully, particularly in the context of cost-of-living pressures,” it said.
“Health New Zealand’s Health New Zealand will not be progressing any changes at this time.”
The Press is reporting management of the car parks was to have been outsourced to private firms.
Association of Salaried Medical Specialists executive director Sarah Dalton said the national consultation document had landed within the past week, and there had been a “really strong response from staff”.
“People were really fired up about it,” she said.
Parking was already a difficult issue for patients and staff for many hospitals around New Zealand, she explained.
“If you work at night, or you’re a patient with a disability or who’s got limited mobility because of your condition, it’s not always an option to use public transport – if it’s available.”
Parks reserved for doctors on-call or who needed quick access to the hospital because of the nature of their work were not always respected, she said.
New Zealand Nurses Organisation delegate and Christchurch health care assistant Al Dietschin called it an “embarrassing U-turn for Te Whatu Ora”, but said it was heartening to see they had listened to members.
“Last year there were several shocking attacks on hospital health workers forced to walk to their cars because they can’t park at or near their workplaces. This includes a Palmerston North nurse being carjacked and a Christchurch nurse being left with a concussion.
Members had provided “robust feedback”, pointing out that charging market rates would leave those unable to pay even less safe.
The government has been forced to backdown after trying to hike hospital parking fees for patients, visitors and health workers already squeezed by rising costs.
Māori, maritime and fishing rights, international obligations, economic benefits and environmental sustainability were looked at.
Professor Richard Easther of Auckland University said the new 1000 cap was good for the tech industry – albeit it was over a long period of time.
“You could easily imagine it taking two decades to get through a thousand launches.”
However, he said New Zealand had yet to match its leading launch position globally with taking some sort of lead on the related environmental issues, such as launches and what satellites and other vehicles they take up impacting the nightsky and the chemistry of the upper atmosphere.
“It certainly gives us a seat at the table that otherwise we wouldn’t have … and I would like to think that we were leading on that.”
But the country was not.
“As a country that regulates orbital launch New Zealand should be at the front of these discussions. However, the announcement is silent on this context,” Easther said on Thursday.
There appeared to still be limited opportunity for oversight of launches.
“Firstly, we need to look at whether we trust the New Zealand Space Agency to do the right thing in private.”
Widespread concerns remained the agency had not been forthcoming about a methane-measuring satellite that taxpayers put $32m into but which got lost in space last year.
“They have shown that they can overly deferential to international partners.
“It seems that they didn’t insist on transparency and clarity when they had the ability to do that.
“The question of what gets launched is different from the MethaneSAT question but it is true that it is roughly the same people who are giving advice on both things and so if we don’t have confidence in one it’s very hard to have confidence in the other.”
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mehmet Ozalp, Professor of Islamic Studies, Head of School, The Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation, Charles Sturt University
The recent unrest in Iran, with the third mass protests in the past six years, has left the theocratic regime wounded but not out.
Iran is no stranger to such unrest. In 1979, similar circumstances led to the Iranian revolution. However, Iranians soon became disappointed that the revolution did not deliver what they had been promised. So while the ideology of the revolution collapsed, the regime remains in place.
To understand this, we need to go back to the emergence of modern Iran.
The recent popular unrest reflects the Iranian people’s desire for self-determination, freedom and progress. The fight for self-determination goes back to the late 19th century and the rise of the Persian Constitutional Revolution.
In 1906, this push succeeded in forcing Qajar Shah to instate a constitution and one of the first parliaments in the Muslim world.
Later, in the turbulent aftermath of the first world war, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi led a military coup establishing modern Iran. He was an authoritarian leader, in keeping with the trend of the 1920s and 30s. At the same time, he also tried to modernise Iran with a series of reforms and developments.
During the second world war, Pahlavi was deposed with the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in 1941. Iran was too important geopolitically – for the war in Russia against the Nazis and Indian Ocean against the Japanese – with a constant and free supply of oil for the British war machine.
This importance did not wane after the war. Now, the Cold War dominated geopolitics and Muslim countries found themselves in the middle of it. Iran and Turkey were key countries where communist Soviet expansion efforts were intensified.
In response, the United States provided both countries with economic and political support in return for their membership in the democratic western block. Turkey and Iran accepted this support and became democratic in 1950 and 1951, respectively.
Later in 1951, Mohammad Mosaddeq’s National Front became the first democratically-elected Iranian government. Mosaddeq was a modern, secular-leaning, progressive leader who was able to gain the broad support of both the secular elite and the Iranian ulama (Islamic scholars).
He was helped by a growing public disdain for Pahlavi monarchy and rising Iranian anger at British exploitation of their oil fields. Iranians were only receiving 20% of the profits.
Mosaddeq made the bold move to address this issue by nationalising the British-owned Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC). This did not work out in his favour, as it attracted British and US economic sanctions, crippling the Iranian economy.
In 1953, once again, Iranian people were denied self-determination. The Mosaddeq government was replaced in a military coup organised by the CIA and British intelligence. The shah was returned to power and the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company became BP, British Petroleum, with a 50-50 divide of profits.
Tanks on the streets of Tehran, 1956. Wikicommons
This intervention sent the unintended message that a democratically elected government would be toppled if it did not fit with Western interests. This narrative continues to be the dominant discourse of Islamist activists today, in Iran and beyond.
The Islamic Revolution
Between 1953 and 1977, the shah relied heavily on the US in his efforts to modernise the army and Iranian society, and transform the economy through what he called the White Revolution.
But it came at a hefty cost. Wealth was unequally distributed, with a large underclass of peasants migrating to urban centres. The economy could not keep up with the growing population, unplanned urbanisation and lack of an open economy.
Having tasted democracy for a brief period during 1951–53, many Iranians wanted democratic rights and economic progress. This uprising resulted in large-scale political suppression of dissent.
Disillusioned religious scholars, such as Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, were alarmed at the top-down imposition of a Western lifestyle, believing Islam was being completely removed from society.
In a 1978 interview with a US news program, Khomeini characterised the shah’s regime as one that deprived Iranians of independence and freedom, stating that “we don’t have the true independence, we are suffering […] we want the liberty of our people.”
Ironically, Iranian protesters say almost the same things about the current regime created by Khomeini: that it is the cause of their suffering and lack of freedoms.
The revolution promised true independence, freedom, a more Islamic social and political order, and greater economic prosperity. The failure to deliver on these promises is at the heart of the popular unrest in Iran today.
The 1979 Islamic Revolution ended Iran’s strategic alignment with the US and the West, leading to decades of political and economic isolation. While the Islamic Republic maintained its ideological stance of “neither East nor West”, sustained Western sanctions gradually pushed Iran closer to Russia and China.
The 45 years of a theocratic regime have been equally or even more oppressive than the shah’s rule. People’s freedoms and rights have regressed significantly. While strict public dress codes for women remain in law and are still enforced — sometimes harshly, as seen in the 2022 protests following the death of Mahsa Amini — compliance has loosened over time, with many women pushing the boundaries in major urban centres.
The most important premise of Islamism – making society more religious through political power – has also failed. Nearly two-thirds of Iranians today were born after the 1979 revolution. Yet, a 2020 GAMAAN survey found state-driven Islamisation has not produced a more religious society. Identification with organised religion appears to have declined, particularly among younger people.
Khomeini and his supporters promised economic prosperity and to end the gap between rich and poor. Today, the Iranian economy is in poor shape, despite the oil revenues that hold it back from the brink of collapse. People are unhappy with high unemployment rates, hyper-inflation and never-ending sanctions. They have little hope for the country’s economic fortunes to turn.
As a result, Iranians have lost hope in the ruling elite’s ability to ensure a brighter future.
Will the theocratic regime collapse any time soon?
So, the main ideology of the revolution has collapsed. What about the regime itself?
For any regime to collapse, including the current one in Iran, four key forces and factors, or a combination of them, have to exert sufficient force: popular mass protests, an army coup, external interventions and division among the ruling elite.
Iran has seen many mass protests in the past 40 years. While these did not bring down the regime, their frequency is increasing.
The November 2019 protests, triggered by a sudden fuel price hike, rapidly spread across the country. The 2022–23 protests, sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in morality police custody, evolved into a sustained nationwide movement under the slogan “woman, life, freedom”. Most recently, the 2025–26 protests have been driven primarily by a severe economic downturn.
But protests are not sufficient to cause a collapse of the regime. They are usually met with countrywide internet blackouts and violent crackdowns leading to hundreds of deaths. This happened again in the recent unrest, with the death toll reaching at least 5,000.
International interventions
Iran has been under extensive economic sanctions for decades, yet these have failed to bring about major political change or weaken the Islamic Republic’s hold on power. In the aftermath of the revolution, Iraq — backed politically and materially by United States and its allies — invaded Iran in 1980 in a bid to contain and possibly topple the new regime before it consolidated. After eight years of devastating war, this effort also failed to dislodge the Islamic Republic.
Other countries have launched short military interventions in the past, with the last one by the United States and Israel in June 2025 targeting the army headquarters and nuclear facilities. These did not lead to a regime change.
It seems anything short of a full-scale war or land invasion is unlikely to lead to a regime change in Iran. And we know from the experience in Iraq and Afghanistan that such interventions don’t end well.
Could Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) stage a coup? It seems highly unlikely. The IRGC is structurally oriented toward preserving and reshaping the system from within, not overthrowing it. Created as a parallel force to prevent coups, the IRGC is intentionally kept fragmented, bound by layered chains of command, and vertically loyal to the supreme leader, making unified action very difficult.
Then, there is the potential for a leadership struggle within the regime itself. For now, this is not a factor, but it could be soon if the elderly Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei dies.
Khamenei, who succeeded Khomeini in 1989, is Iran’s longest-serving leader. His power comes from being part of the original revolution, drawing respect within the leadership and supporters in the government.
He is 86 years old and has health issues. When he goes, there will be many vying for the role. Whoever becomes leader is likely to purge those who supported others, leading to political persecution and instability at the top.
It is very hard to predict when and if the current Islamic Republic will collapse. Iran may continue as is, but moderate over time. Such a trajectory is more likely to emerge through greater integration with the international community rather than continued isolation through sanctions.
Hard social, political and economic realities have an uncanny ability to test and smooth ideologies. If the regime stays hardline and unwilling to evolve, change is inevitable, and will probably occur at the least expected moment.
Mehmet Ozalp is the Executive Director of ISRA Academy.
Even if you’ve never used these companies’ software tools, there’s a good chance your employer has. These tools manage key data about customers, employees, suppliers and products, supporting everything from payroll and purchasing to customer service.
Now new “agentic” artificial intelligence (AI) tools for business are expected to reduce reliance on traditional software for everyday work. These include Anthropic’s Cowork, OpenAI’s Frontier and open-source agent platforms such as OpenClaw.
But just how important are these software-as-a-service companies now? How fast could AI replace them – and are the jobs of people who use the software safe?
The digital plumbing of the business world
Software‑as‑a‑service systems run in the cloud, reducing the need for in‑house hardware and IT staff. They also make it easier for businesses to scale as they grow.
Software-as-a-service vendors get a steady, recurring income as firms “rent” the software, usually paying per user (often called a “seat”).
Software-as-a-service providers help with a wide range of functions, from paying staff to managing customer relationships. Austin Distel/Unsplash
Sometimes firms are locked into using them for a decade or more.
Digital co-workers
Agentic AI systems act like digital co-workers or “bots”. Software bots or agents are not new. Robotic process automation is used in many firms to handle routine, rules-based tasks.
The more recent developments in agentic AI combine this automation with generative AI technology, to complete more complex goals.
This can include selecting tools, making decisions and completing multi-step tasks. These agents can replace human effort in everything from handling expense reports to managing social media and customer correspondence.
What AI can now do
Recent advances, however, are even more ambitious. These tools are reportedly now writing usable software code. Soaring productivity in software development has been attributed to the use of AI agents like Anthropic’s “Claude Code”. Anthropic’s Cowork tool extends this from coding to other knowledge work tasks.
In principle, a user describes a business problem in plain language. Then agentic AI delivers a code solution that works with existing organisational systems.
If this becomes reliable, AI agents will resemble junior software engineers and process designers. AI agents like Cowork expand this to other entry-level work.
These advances are what recently spooked the market (though many affected stocks have since recovered slightly). How much of this fall is a temporary overreaction versus a real long-term shift, time will tell.
How will it affect jobs and costs?
Since the arrival of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022, AI tools have raised deep questions about the future of work. Some predict many white-collar roles, including those of software engineers and lawyers, will be transformed or even replaced.
Agentic AI appears to accelerate this trend. It promises to let many knowledge workers build workflows and tools without knowing how to code.
Software-as-a-service providers will also feel pressure to change their pricing models. The traditional model of charging per human user may make less sense when much of the work is done by AI agents. Vendors may have to move to pricing based on actual usage or value created.
Hype, reality and limits
Several forces are likely to moderate or limit the pace of change.
First, the promised potential of AI has not yet been fully realised. For some tasks, using AI can even worsen performance. The biggest gains are still likely to be in routine work that can be readily automated, not work that requires complex judgement.
Where AI replaces, rather than augments, human labour is where work practices will change the most. The nearly 20% decline in junior software engineering jobs over three years highlights the effects of AI automation. As AI agents improve at higher-level reasoning, more senior roles will similarly be threatened.
Second, to benefit from AI, firms must invest in redesigning jobs, processes and control systems. We’ve long known that organisational change is slower and messier than technology change.
Ironically, the loss of knowledge and expertise could make it harder for companies to assure AI systems comply with company policies and government regulations. The checks and balances that help an organisation run safely and honestly do not disappear when AI arrives. In many ways, they become more complex.
Technology is evolving quickly
What is clear is that significant change is already under way. Technology is evolving quickly. Work practices and business models are starting to adjust. Laws and social norms will change more slowly.
Software companies won’t disappear overnight, and neither will the jobs of people using that software. But agentic AI will change what they sell, how they charge and how visible they are to end users.
Michael J. Davern has received funding from CPA Australia and Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) for research on the impacts of AI.
Ida Someh receives research funding from the Australian Research Council and the software company SAP.
Ida is a Research Fellow with MIT Sloan Center for Information Systems Research.
Colonel Paul Hayward, the assistant chief of army for training, was questioned on the intensity of training required of SAS soldiers.
He set out the different levels of training capability expected of soldiers.
“The three descriptors of levels of training we normally use are BLOC, DLOC and OLOC,” he said.
“BLOC first is the basic level of capability, initial entry training and some lower-level training courses, DLOC is a directed level of capability, what you would do subsequent to [BLOC] training, and DLOC is where most of the army sits at any given time.”
He explained the third level of capability, OLOC, was meant for soldiers preparing to deploy on specific operations.
“Most of the army will not be at OLOC unless they’ve been specified for a particular mission,” he said.
“The difference is the special forces always sit within OLOC, so they sit at a much higher level because of the complexity of what they’re required to.
“[They must be] ready to go, they’re basically the 111 of the military.”
Central to the inquiry was the decision to allow the soldiers to attempt the so-called “bump landing” at nighttime and while wearing heavy equipment.
The Coroner was earlier told Kahotea was carrying between 20 and 35 kilograms of equipment and was wearing night vision goggles as he stepped off the helicopter.
It was the first time the SAS troopers had attempted the manoeuvre, in which a helicopter balanced one wheel on the edge of a building and attempted to hold steady as the soldiers stepped off.
The NZDF’s “crawl, walk, run” policy requires soldiers to start with the easiest iteration of an exercise during daylight hours with minimal equipment, before moving onto gradually more difficult scenarios.
In the years since the fatal accident, Colonel Hayward said additions had been made to the army’s training rules to ensure the policy was followed.
“They specify in mandatory language some of the requirements down to the number of rehearsals required wearing various kit before an activity can be conducted, they are specified in both the training and safety manual and the mobile air training manual,” he said.
In addition, he said the NZDF performed a full assessment of the facility where the training took place, minimising tripping hazards and other potential issues.
Colonel Hayward addressed the family and admitted the Defence Force had made a mistake by allowing the training exercise to occur.
“Your loss is profound, and the NZDF deeply regrets the devastating impact that Nik’s death has had, and the irreversible consequences of this tragedy,” he said.
“NZDF acknowledges failures on our part in relation to the planning and authorising of the activity.”
