Rose Lewis, Ariana ‘Missy’ Te Whata, Te Atakura Crawford and Pagan Rimene established a new world record near Owaka.Supplied/Rose Lewis
Four female shearers have established a new world record, shearing 1938 lambs in eight hours in a South Otago woolshed.
Rose Lewis, Ariana ‘Missy’ Te Whata, Te Atakura Crawford and Pagan Rimene set the four-stand women’s eight-hours strongwool lamb record on Tuesday at Melrose Station, near Owaka.
No previous record existed for the category, which is recognised by the World Sheep Shearing Records Society.
Crawford from Gisborne, who beat an otherwise all-male field to win the 2013 NZ merino shears senior title, topped the tallies with 530, averaging 54.34 seconds a lamb, caught, shorn and through the porthole.
Te Whata – who grew-up in Mossburn, Southland, and is the niece of two world recordholders – was credited with 504, while master woolhandler and 2019 world teams woolhandling champion Pagan Rimene of Alexandra shore 481.
The remaining 423 were accredited to Lewis from Manutuke, on the East Coast, who now lives in Dubbo, New South Wales, where she works shearing merino sheep.
A fifth-generation shearer, she took up the sport six years ago at the age of 35, after working as a ‘rousey’ or woolhandler.
The record attempt required serious training and Lewis was hospitalised with a condition called RCVS (Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome) five months ago, which meant she had to ease back on her training schedule, but she didn’t let it stop her from competing.
While she initially found it hard to find her rhythm on the cold Otago morning, she found her stride, and said it was overwhelming and exciting to be part of the recordsetting team.
“My father and his three brothers are in the world record book, so it was cool to be the first Lewis female to get in there and make my family proud.”
While it took some time to become a shearer, she said she now couldn’t imagine doing anything else.
Rose Lewis was hospitalised five months ago, but returned to participate in the record attempt.Supplied/Rose Lewis
“It’s a great job, great industry, you can go in so many different places.”
She hopes to set more records, including in Australia.
“I’ve got some pretty big goals on the world record stage, so setting one and with the team was definitely a cool start – you’re not going into it alone.”
Referee Neil Fagan said more women were getting into shearing and the new record would give those entering the sport something to aim for.
“It’s just great to see those four girls getting out there and setting [a record], inspiring another four girls to have a go one day.
“They’ve got a target to beat now, which is not an easy target, but it’s something for them to aspire to.”
The event was the first of two multi-stand shearing record attempts in the southern regions this summer.
On 31 January, Shane Ratima, Paerata Abraham and Leon Samuels will tackle the three-stand, eight-hours strongwool lambs record at Waihelo Station, Moa Flat, in west Otago.
The current record of 1976 was set by Coel L’Huillier, Kaleb Foote and Daniel Langlands in 2019 at Puketiti Station, near Piopio.
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Whitianga Campground is flooded, with the water halfway up the doors of vehicles.Charlotte Cook
Five districts have now declared states of emergency, as a tropical low hammers the North Island with heavy rain, causing widespread flooding.
In the face of this threat, communities are rallying to keep each other safe.
Here are some of the images to emerge from the storm.
Whitianga residents stock up and prepare to wait out the floods, despite knee-deep water.RNZ / Charlotte Cook
Car stuck in flood water.
Motutara Road flooding in Ōakura, Northland.RNZ/Calvin Samuel
Police inspect a section of Falls Road, where a person and their vehicle was believed to have been swept into the Mahurangi River.Lucy Xia
Ohawini Bay resident braces for more incoming weather after a week of rain.
Slips on Rapata Road in Ōakura, Northland.Calvin Samuel
Slips on Rapata Road in Ōakura, Northland.Calvin Samuel
Ōakura resident evacuating to neighbouring property, as slip threatens driveway.
John Welch paddles Jazmyn Welch’s partner, Holly, to safety, after their Kūaotunu home was surrounded by fast-moving, neck-deep floodwaters.Peter de Graaf / RNZ
The entrance to the Ōakura Community Hall, where a slip came through the back wall earlier this week.Calvin Samuel
Northland’s Mōkau Marae prepares for evacuees ahead of incoming weather.
Sand bags are dropped off at Ōakura.Kim Baker Wilson
Road workers clear fresh slips on the Russell Road, heading to Ōakura.Calvin Samuel
Flooding in paddocks on Russell Road, just off SH1.Calvin Samuel
One of the slips blocking State Highway 2, through Waioeka Gorge, between Opotiki and Gisborne.Supplied
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A Wellington man says his businesses lost up to $2000 a day after their Instagram and Facebook accounts were banned mistakenly.
Alex Hoang is the general manager for two businesses in the capital, Pho Viet Street Food and Velvet Nail Room.
On 14 January he was notified that the Instagram and Facebook accounts were locked due to sexual content on his page which he completely rejected.
Hoang immediately appealed which resulted in Meta services saying he was permanently banned.
He told RNZ after he was not getting anywhere with the normal process of escalating these issues, he contacted an email address that was not public after seeing an influencer use it who had similar problems.
Following that the ban was reversed on Saturday.
Hoang said his businesses relied social media a lot.
“Social media is really important for those businesses as it is a channel for us to communicate with customers.”
He estimated the two businesses were losing between $1000-$2000 per day.
“A lot of customers very luckily they contacted me, they thought something was wrong with me [or] something was wrong with the business, which is really, really frustrating.”
Pho Viet Street food in Wellington.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Hoang was concerned he’d have to wait months for the issue to be resolved and noted he also contacted a Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment mailbox that was set up for people in similar situations.
Small Business and Manufacturing Minister Chris Penk told RNZ around 100 requests had been received through the dedicated inbox since the beginning of October.
“The consistent concern raised by these businesses is the disruption caused by losing access to their accounts. For many small businesses, social media platforms are a primary channel for communicating with customers and promoting their products and services.”
Penk said MBIE continued to engage constructively with Meta and was passing on emails received directly for the company to review in cases where small businesses alleged their accounts may have been incorrectly suspended.
A Meta spokesperson told RNZ it took action on accounts that violated their policies, and people could appeal to the social media company if they thought it made a mistake.
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An earlier version contained a criminal offence of promoting or inciting racial hatred. The government dropped this part of the legislation after both the Coalition and the Greens opposed it.
However, inciting racial hatred remains relevant to the other key provisions, which permit the banning of “prohibited hate groups”.
How can a group become a prohibited hate group?
A group can be prohibited under the new law if the governor-general makes a regulation prohibiting it. The governor-general acts on the advice of the minister for the Australian Federal Police. There are a number of conditions that must be met before a group can be banned.
First, the minister must be satisfied on reasonable grounds that the group has engaged in conduct constituting a “hate crime”, or has been associated with a hate crime, by preparing, planning, assisting, or advocating engaging in such conduct. This is the initial trigger for banning a group.
Second, the minister must be satisfied that banning the group is reasonably necessary to protect the Australian community from social, economic, psychological and physical harm.
The bill was altered to water down this requirement in two ways. It now also applies to protecting “part of the Australian community” from such harm. In addition, it says this social, economic, psychological and physical harm can simply be the continued presence in Australia of the group that has engaged in or been associated with the conduct constituting a hate crime. The minister would therefore have little difficulty being satisfied of this second condition.
The third condition is that the minister must have received advice from the director-general of security (who is the head of ASIO) recommending consideration of banning the group. The director-general must be satisfied the group has engaged in activities that are likely to increase the risk of politically motivated violence or communal violence, and has either itself advocated for or engaged in such violence, or there is a risk that it may do so in the future.
In addition, the minister must get the attorney-general’s agreement to ban the group, and arrange a briefing for the opposition leader about it. Any regulation banning a group could be disallowed (that is, overturned) by either House of Parliament.
Banning a group is therefore not easy. However, as we have seen in other countries, such protections could be overcome by appointing politically motivated cronies to positions, and contending that all opposition or dissent increases the risk of politically motivated violence and community harm.
What is a ‘hate crime’?
The key issue is whether action is a “hate crime”, as this is necessary to satisfy the initial trigger. A hate crime is defined as including acts of violence against people based on their race, colour or national or ethnic origin, or serious damage to their property. It includes threatening or advocating such violence or damage. Displaying Nazi or terrorist organisation symbols also qualifies as a hate crime.
The original bill made promoting or inciting racial hatred a hate crime. This raised concerns, due to uncertainty about the scope of the offence. While the government dropped it as a standalone offence, it slipped inciting racial hatred back in as a “hate crime” for the purpose of banning groups.
It did so by saying that a hate crime includes conduct that involves publicly inciting racial hatred that would constitute an offence against a Commonwealth law (for example, it might also breach a law about sending offensive communications by post). It would also include conduct that would constitute a specified state or territory offence. The conduct must also cause a reasonable person from the targeted racial group to be intimidated, fear harassment or violence, or fear for their safety.
This reliance on state offences makes the law very messy. This is because in the listed offences from Queensland, South Australia and the ACT, incitement to racial hatred is tied to threatening physical harm, whereas in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia, no threat of harm is required. No relevant laws are listed for Tasmania or the Northern Territory. This means that whether a group can be banned on this basis may depend on where the conduct took place.
To complicate matters, the act says no crime need actually have been committed, and no one needs to have been convicted. In addition, conduct can be a “hate crime” even though it happened in the past when it wasn’t a crime. It is enough for the minister to be satisfied on reasonable grounds that the group has engaged in or been associated with the conduct constituting a “hate crime”.
This leaves it up to the minister to decide what was done and by whom, whether they had the necessary intent, whether their conduct can be attributed to the group, whether any defences apply, and whether the conditions of the law of the relevant jurisdiction have been met.
Ordinarily, we leave such assessments to independent courts and judges. For example, should a minister be the one deciding whether a defence of acting in good faith should apply, when the minister has a political interest in banning a particular group?
Would criticism of a country’s actions amount to a hate crime?
Is it a “hate crime” under the act to criticise the actions or policies of another country? Ordinarily, one would assume such criticism, which is a political communication, would not be regarded as inciting hatred against a group because of their race, colour, ethnic or national origin.
Attorney-General Michelle Rowland was asked on the ABC’s 7.30 program whether a group could be banned if it accuses Israel of genocide or apartheid, and as a result, Jewish Australians feel intimidated. She replied that a number of other factors would need to be satisfied. This would include advice by the director-general of security. She also noted it would depend on the evidence gathered.
The attorney-general was asked again whether, if protesters were saying “Israel is engaged in genocide, or condemning Israel, saying it shouldn’t exist” and it led to Jewish Australians feeling harassed or intimidated, they could be banned. She replied “If those criteria are satisfied, then that is the case”. This seems to suggest she would consider the initial trigger of engaging in a hate crime by inciting racial hatred would be satisfied by such public criticism, but that the other parts of the test would still need to be satisfied.
Concern about such an interpretation and its consequential impact on the freedom of Australians to criticise the conduct of foreign governments, led to amendments to the bill being moved in the Senate. Senator Lidia Thorpe moved severalamendments to the bill, including inserting the following statement:
As per the judgement of the Federal Court in Wertheim v Haddad [2025] FCA 720, criticism of the practices, policies, and acts of the state of Israel, the Israeli Defence Forces or Zionism is not inherently criticism of Jewish people and is protected political speech, and not hate speech.
This amendment was rejected by 43 to 12, with the major parties opposing it.
This leaves uncertain what conduct is intended to be caught. Freedom of political communication by those who wish to protest against the conduct of a nation’s government could potentially be chilled.
If the minister were satisfied that such conduct did constitute a hate crime and a regulation was made that a group was a prohibited hate group, that decision might be challenged on administrative law grounds. There might also be a constitutional challenge to the relevant provisions in the act. Until then, one can only speculate about the potential impact of this new law.
Anne Twomey has received funding from the Australian Research Council and occasionally does consultancy work for governments, Parliaments and intergovernmental bodies. She also has a YouTube channel, Constitutional Clarion, which discusses constitutional issues, including this one.
Whitianga Campground is flooded, with the water halfway up the doors of vehicles.Charlotte Cook
Five districts have now declared states of emergency, as a tropical low hammers the North Island with heavy rain, causing widespread flooding.
In the face of this threat, communities are rallying to keep each other safe.
Here are some of the images to emerge from the storm.
Whitianga residents stock up and prepare to wait out the floods, despite knee-deep water.RNZ / Charlotte Cook
Car stuck in flood water.
Motutara Road flooding in Ōakura, Northland.RNZ/Calvin Samuel
Police inspect a section of Falls Road, where a person and their vehicle was believed to have been swept into the Mahurangi River.Lucy Xia
Ohawini Bay resident braces for more incoming weather after a week of rain.
Slips on Rapata Road in Ōakura, Northland.Calvin Samuel
Slips on Rapata Road in Ōakura, Northland.Calvin Samuel
Ōakura resident evacuating to neighbouring property, as slip threatens driveway.
John Welch paddles Jazmyn Welch’s partner, Holly, to safety, after their Kūaotunu home was surrounded by fast-moving, neck-deep floodwaters.Peter de Graaf / RNZ
The entrance to the Ōakura Community Hall, where a slip came through the back wall earlier this week.Calvin Samuel
Northland’s Mōkau Marae prepares for evacuees ahead of incoming weather.
Sand bags are dropped off at Ōakura.Kim Baker Wilson
Road workers clear fresh slips on the Russell Road, heading to Ōakura.Calvin Samuel
Flooding in paddocks on Russell Road, just off SH1.Calvin Samuel
One of the slips blocking State Highway 2, through Waioeka Gorge, between Opotiki and Gisborne.Supplied
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Markus Wagner, Professor of Law and Director of the UOW Transnational Law and Policy Centre, University of Wollongong
The renewed campaign by United States President Donald Trump to acquire Greenland has escalated, with tariff threats against European allies. Asked on Tuesday how far he is willing to go to “acquire” Greenland, Trump replied: “You’ll find out”.
This is the latest episode in a long-running effort under Trump 2.0 to remake the international order with major geopolitical implications:
the potential rupture of NATO
further pressure on transatlantic trade
a shock to stock and bond markets.
There is a chance of both escalation and de-escalation when Trump holds meetings this week on Greenland with European leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
US–Greenland relations and the ownership question
Trump first floated the idea of acquiring Greenland during his first presidency, which at the time was dismissed as “absurd” and a diplomatic curiosity.
Greenland, while part of the Danish realm, is a self-governing territory with its own parliament and a right to self-determination under international law. Under a 1951 agreement, the US already has extensive rights to install and operate military bases in Greenland.
Trump’s arguments around Greenland have shifted from access to resources to defence arguments.
Trump has now explicitly linked the acquisition of Greenland to trade sanctions against eight – ostensibly allied – European countries unless they cooperate in facilitating a deal. He is using trade as a weapon.
Tariffs as foreign policy coercion
Trump announced tariffs of 10% on imports from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Finland beginning February 1, rising to 25% by June 1, until the “Complete and Total purchase of Greenland” has been achieved.
These tariffs are in addition to the so-called Liberation Day tariffs announced in April 2025. The legality of these tariffs under US law is currently under scrutiny by the US Supreme Court. The outcome is important: if Trump loses, he would not be able to impose tariffs over Greenland without Congressional involvement.
This is not regular trade policy. Tariffs are traditionally imposed as remedies against trade measures by other governments. Here, they are being used outside any international legal constraints as leverage to extract unrelated territorial concessions from allies. While national security exceptions exist, its use against close allies – and in pursuit of territorial objectives – pushes that exception well beyond its limits.
What is the EU’s trade ‘bazooka’?
European leaders are forced to choose between multiple unattractive options.
They strongly rejected this latest round of US coercion, emphasising Greenland’s sovereignty and self-determination.
French President Emmanuel Macron, speaking in Davos, said the “endless accumulation of new tariffs […] are fundamentally unacceptable, even more so when they are used as leverage against territorial sovereignty”.
“We do prefer respect to bullies. And we do prefer rule of law to brutality,” Macron said. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz was more conciliatory.
European leaders warned of a “dangerous downward spiral” in transatlantic ties and possible retaliatory measures. Such counter tariffs had already been drafted up in response to Trump’s 2025 tariff threats, up to a value of €93 billion (A$162 billion).
While such tit-for-tat trade measures are already concerning, the EU has another measure at its disposal: its Anti-Coercion Instrument or ACI, sometimes referred to as its “trade bazooka”. This was initially designed to deter economic coercion by China.
Macron has raised the spectre of using the Anti-Coercion Instrument against the US. This would allow the EU to select from a range of measures, including:
the imposition of tariffs on US goods
restrictions on imports and exports of good and services such as banking or insurance
investment screening, such as preventing US investors from buying companies in the defence or energy sectors
restrictions on intellectual property rights, which would put pressure on US tech giants.
The decision over whether to impose such measures has to be taken by EU member governments in the Council of the European Union.
In addition to the time it takes to reach such a decision (officials indicated it could take up to six months), it would also test the ability of EU leaders to resist opposition from within. Hungary’s Victor Orban, a close Trump ally, could try to play the role of spoiler. Although even for him, Trump’s power play over Greenland may be a step too far into unknown waters.
In financial markets, Europeans are also large holders of US government bonds. One Danish pension fund on Tuesday announced plans to sell off its holdings of US Treasuries worth US$100 million (A$148 million). Any broader sell-downs could put pressure on the US bond market.
For the time being, European leaders appear to want to keep the EU trade bazooka dry, indicating a path of de-escalation bordering on appeasement rather than outright confrontation despite Trump’s tactics.
If the EU retaliates, it is likely Trump will respond in kind, possibly resulting in a ratcheting up of trade measures on both sides of the Atlantic. This would have devastating consequences for consumers and exporters alike.
NATO’s greatest test
Trump’s antagonism is not just an odd foreign policy episode, but a test of the strength and depth of the NATO alliance, international legal norms, and trade governance.
The outcome of this conflict – which is entirely of Trump’s making – will signal whether the post-Cold War order can withstand transactional geopolitics cloaked as national security.
Trump has had multiple off-ramps, none of which he appears to be willing to take. His actions will determine whether the US can retain its status as a reliable superpower or will be seen as a pariah in international relations.
Markus Wagner receives funding from the Australian Department of Defence as principal investigator for the Weaponised Trade project.
Michael Webster said it is clear a privacy investigation is needed given the scale of the incident, the sensitivity of the information and some of the systemic issues that were identified.
He said the inquiry will help determine whether Manage My Health had appropriate security safeguards and, if not, why not.
It will also look at what steps will be taken to prevent such an incident happening again.
At the end of December Manage My Health confirmed it had been hacked, later revealing that information of about 120,000 users could be affected.
More to come…
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Police are seeking the public’s assistance to locate missing 23-year-old Liam.NZ Police
The police say they have “concerns for the wellbeing” of a man reported missing from the town of Bulls in Rangitikei District.
Liam, 23, was last seen on Watson and Walton Street between 11am and 2pm on 19 January.
A spokesperson said police were seeking the public’s assistance to locate him.
“Police are wanting to hear from anyone in the area who might have seen Liam.
“Police and his family have concerns for his wellbeing.”
Liam is described as approximately 170cm tall with sandy brown hair, and was last seen wearing a black hoodie, brown trackpants and a small gold chain necklace.
If you have seen Liam, or have any information on his whereabouts, please contact the police on 105 and quote the reference number P065187380.
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US cybersecurity company Palantir has received a high-level Australian government security assessment despite concerns about its surveillance and complicity in the Gaza genocide in occupied Palestine.
In November 2025, Palantir Technologies was assessed as meeting the protected level under the Australian Information Security Registered Assessors Programme (IRAP). This protection is a key requirement for companies seeking to handle sensitive government information.
The assessment enables a broader range of Australian government agencies and commercial organisations to use Palantir’s Foundry and artificial intelligence platform, AIP.
In a statement, Palantir said the assessment was conducted by an independent third party assessor in line with requirements set by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), and demonstrated its ability to meet “stringent national security and privacy standards”.
The company described Australia as an “important market”, saying the clearance would open “new opportunities” across the public and private sectors.
Palantir’s CEO Alex Karp . . . experts warn that the company’s technology enables mass surveillance and data collection with limited accountability. Image: palantir.com/MWM
Mass surveillance without accountability Palantir has been mired in controversy internationally over how its data analysis and AI tools are deployed by government and military clients, with experts warning that the company’s technology enables mass surveillance and data collection with limited accountability.
An ASD spokesperson stated that IRAP status should
not be interpreted as government approval or endorsement of a company’s broader conduct or use of data.
“IRAP assessments are third-party commercial arrangements between IRAP assessors (or companies offering ‘IRAP assessment’ services) and assessed entities,” an ASD spokesperson said.
“ASD does not sign off or approve IRAP assessments.”
Journalist Stephanie Tran . . . Palantir has quietly built a substantial footprint in Australia. Image: Michael West Media
Lobbying push amid political pressure Palantir’s expanded access to Australian government work comes amid growing political scrutiny. According to reporting by Capital Brief, in July 2025, the company hired lobbying firm CMAX Advisory, after the Greens called for an immediate freeze on government contracts with the company.
I want to talk to you about Palantir and its expanding footprint in Australia. TLDR: You should be worried.
This US surveillance tech company has secured multiple Defence contracts worth over $11 million. We need transparency about what data they’re accessing & why. 🧵
— David Shoebridge (@DavidShoebridge) July 7, 2025
CMAX Advisory was founded by Christian Taubenschlag, a former chief of staff to Labor Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, who is a special counsel at the lobby firm. CMAX Advisory represents a number of major defence contractors, including EOS and Raytheon.
Gaza, ICE and Coles Palantir has faced sustained criticism globally over how its software is used by government clients.
In April 2025, CEO Alex Karp dismissed accusations that Palantir’s technology had been used to target and kill Palestinians in Gaza, saying those killed were “mostly terrorists”.
The UN Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, has said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Palantir had “provided automatic predictive policing technology, core defence infrastructure for rapid and scaled-up construction and deployment of military software, and its Artificial Intelligence Platform, which allows real-time battlefield data integration for automated decision-making”.
In the United States, Palantir has long worked with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). An investigation by 404 Media revealed that the company was developing a tool that generated detailed dossiers on potential deportation targets, mapped their locations and assigned “confidence scores” to their likely whereabouts.
The company has also attracted attention in Australia for its work with private sector clients, including Coles, where they were hired to cut costs and “optimise” the company’s workforce.
‘We kill enemies’ Karp has been blunt about Palantir’s mission. Speaking to shareholders and investors last week, he described the company’s purpose as helping the West “scare enemies” and, “on occasion, kill them”.
Karp also joked about “getting a drone and having light fentanyl-laced urine spraying on analysts that tried to screw us”.
Millions in government contracts Despite the controversy, Palantir has quietly built a substantial footprint in Australia.
According to Austender data, the company has secured more than $50 million in Australian government contracts since 2013, largely across defence and national security-related agencies.
The 2024 financial report of its Australian subsidiary, Palantir Technologies Australia Pty Ltd, show $25.5 million in revenue from customer contracts in 2024, though the company’s local financial reports are not audited.
In 2020, Palantir recommended that the Australian government consider “expanding the exemption from public access to disclosure documents”, arguing that filing financial reports with ASIC “is expensive” and “gives competitors access to confidential information”.
Stephanie Tran is a journalist with a background in both law and journalism. She has worked at The Guardian and as a paralegal, where she assisted Crikey’s defence team in the high-profile defamation case brought by Lachlan Murdoch. Her reporting has been recognised nationally, earning her the 2021 Democracy’s Watchdogs Award for Student Investigative Reporting and a nomination for the 2021 Walkley Student Journalist of the Year Award.This article was first published by Michael West Media and is republished with permission.
Debbie Gray’s 94-year-old father was staying at a Tairua bach, when heavy rain started to flood the garage.
Her father was unable to open the garage, with water both inside and surrounding it.
As the weather wasn’t improving, Gray put out an ‘SOS’ on the Tairua community Facebook page to see if anyone could get to him and open the garage.
Hikuai flooding on the Coromandel Peninsula.Supplied
“I see that Tairua is flooded, but if he has a car, he could move out of the danger zone,” she wrote.
Gray said she had an incredible response from the community.
“I tell you what, the people were amazing,” she said.
“Honestly, within five minutes, I had responses of ‘we’re heading down there now, we’ve seen him, the car’s out’, so I just can’t say enough for that community – it just rallies around.”
Gray said this wasn’t the first time the community had banded together to check on their neighbours.
Coromandel land slip, November 2025.Supplied / Mieke Kregting
“I remember [Cyclone] Gabrielle – and even the one before that – the community just seem to pull together and support one another with things like ‘get out and check on your neighbours, and look out for each other’,
“It’s just incredible.”
Her father’s car was taken out of the garage and moved to a dryer spot, Gray said, and his house hadn’t flooded.
She said it was comforting to know people on Facebook were prepared to care for others.
“People heading down and they’ve shared it around, so obviously there’s more than one or two,” Gray said. “There’s a community of carers up there doing amazing work.”
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One person is in a serious condition after a crash near a busy Christchurch intersection.
Emergency services were called to the crash near the intersection of State Highway 73 – Yaldhurst Road and State Highway 1 – Masham Road in Russley about 1.30pm.
St John says one person was taken to Christchurch Hospital in a serious condition while another person with minor injuries declined treatment.
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In an otherwise mixed month for the Pacific Regional Environmental Programme (SPREP), its leadership is hailing a win for Pacific conservation efforts with the UN Treaty on the High Seas coming into effect.
The legally binding UN High Seas Treaty officially received more than 60 ratifications, and following years of negotiations, has this month become international law.
It is a welcome positive development for Pacific conservation in a month when the US announced it was going to leave SPREP.
SPREP’s Director-General Sefanaia Nawadra described the treaty coming into effect as a testament to the long-running work by Pacific Island countries on ocean governance.
The treaty will give Pacific Island countries the ability to better manage high seas pockets in between their national waters, he said.
“The Pacific is peculiar in that within the national jurisdictions of countries in the Pacific, in between, there are what I call donut type spaces, international waters,” he said.
“So this [treaty] allows us to implement management measures beyond our national jurisdictions into these areas that are of particular concern to countries within our region.”
“So it’s a very important agreement for us, and is the continuation of the global leadership that Pacific Island countries have shown on oceans throughout the history of global oceans management, starting off with UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea], which is the primary instrument that governs oceans.”
A Pacific Ocean marine ecosystem . . . Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument is an area spanning more than 1.2 million sq km of ocean. Image: USFWS
Asked whether the treaty might make it easier for deep sea mining to take place in the Pacific, Nawadra said: “Primarily it’s meant to be a conservation or sustainable management instrument. So you would allow conservation and protection in some cases, but in other cases, you would allow for managed activities”.
He said the onus would be on Pacific countries to work together in groups or sub-groups to settle on what activity is allowed.
The US retreat Nawadra was philosophical about the US withdrawal from SPREP, but uncertainty lingers over what it means for the various programmes which the Pacific community cooperates with the US on.
Greater impact than withdrawal of US funding is likely to be on the work SPREP does with various US government agencies. Image: RNZ/Johnny Blades
He said he was not worried about the removal of US funding, but indicated the greater impact is likely to be on the work SPREP does with various US government agencies.
“We do a lot of joint activities with NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmoshperic Administration], with US CPA, US Department of Agriculture, Geological Service,” Nawadra explained.
“Those are joint activities that benefit the US as much as it benefits the Pacific. I’m not sure how that will pan out going forward over technical cooperation. That’s something that we have to work through with the US.”
Meanwhile, the director-general denied media reports that China’s latest funding offer to SPREP was about filling the gap left by the US.
Shortly after the US announcement, China, which is not a member of SPREP, announced a donation to the organisation of US$200,000 — which is approximately the amount of the funding shortfall created by the US departure.
The timing and amount of China’s donation was merely coincidental, Nawadra said.
“They didn’t step in because of the US. We’ve received funding from China for almost 10 years now,” he said.
“So it’s just a continuation of the annual contribution that they voluntarily give to SPREP. So it wasn’t additional to what they normally donate.”
He said the US retreat was not because of anything outside SPREP’s mandate that the organisation had done.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
The Prime Minister has announced this year’s election will be held on 7 November.
Christopher Luxon made the announcement from National’s caucus retreat in Christchurch.
The date had been widely tipped beforehand, and Luxon said he chose it as it was a “logical time,” with eight of New Zealand’s last 12 elections also held in October or November.
“When you look at the international events beforehand, when you look at the national events, sporting events, that was sort of the logical time,” he said.
The announcement began with a lengthy preamble of what National had done so far in government, including its tax cuts, education and law and order policies, and its reforms to the Resource Management Act.
Luxon said in the lead up to November, New Zealanders would have to weigh up who was best placed to provide “strong and stable” government in a “very volatile and uncertain world,” pitching that National would provide a strong economy, safer streets, a world-leading education, and more affordable housing.
Luxon said the economic recovery was now “up and running,” and a November election would mean National could “demonstrate more of that” throughout the year.
“We’ve been doing a big turnaround, we’ve been fixing a lot of the basics. We now have an opportunity, as this recovery comes through, not just to watch it come through but to actually shape the future of this country and to put in place the long-term reforms that actually will help the country realise its potential and to lift all of our collective living standards.”
Asked whether he had given any thought to going early, to prevent ACT and New Zealand First from absorbing more of the limelight, Luxon repeated that when he had looked at the calendar and sporting events that he had got to late October and early November.
As Prime Minister, the date was Luxon’s decision. But he confirmed he had informed David Seymour and Winston Peters of the date on Tuesday.
Luxon said he was “open” to working with his current coalition partners again, but he would be making the case that the “strongest and most stablest” form of government would be a strong party vote for National.
“They do not care” – Labour ready for election
Labour MPs were holding their own caucus retreat in West Auckland as news of the election date came through.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins said the contest could not come soon enough.
“New Zealanders face a very clear choice at this year’s election between a government that’s offering more cuts, more division and more negativity, or a change of government to a government with a positive vision for New Zealand’s future.”
Labour held their caucus retreat in West Auckland.RNZ / Lillian Hanly
Hipkins said Luxon had failed to deliver on his promises, adding the number of people that left the country last year was an indictment on his government.
“We need to do better as a country. All National’s offering is more of the same, more excuses, more backtracking, more going backwards. They do not feel the pain that New Zealand families are feeling right now and they do not care.
“We deserve a government that is going to put working Kiwis first. That’s going to make sure that New Zealanders who go out every day, slog their guts out and work hard, actually have the opportunity to get ahead. National cannot offer that future, Labour will.”
“We’re proud of our record” – ACT
The ACT Party said it would be giving the public a clear choice at the election: “To avoid the reds and greens, without settling for beige.”
ACT leader David Seymour said the party was “proud of our record,” and had proven it could cut red tape, shrink government waste, and provide better value for the taxpayer dollar.
“We’ve also proven we can work collegially and effectively with our partners in coalition. In everything from youth justice to medicines, we have delivered. ACT provides the full package for voters who rightly fear the Labour-Green-Māori menace, but also want faster action on waste, red tape, and pride in our country,” he said.
“Retirement date” for Luxon – Te Pāti Māori
Te Pāti Māori said in announcing the election date, Luxon had also announced his retirement date.
“The pain this government has inflicted on our communities and our taiao will be felt for generations,” said co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer.
“Aotearoa cannot afford another term of this government. If we do not change the government, poverty and the environmental desecration will be entrenched as a normal part of life in Aotearoa.”
The party encouraged its supporters to enrol early, following changes the government made to scrap same-day enrolment.
“Game on” for National MPs
Ahead of the announcement National MPs, gathered for their first caucus meeting of the year.
On their way in, senior ministers would not give anything away about the date, but said they were ready.
Finance minister Nicola Willis.RNZ / Nathan McKinnon
Finance minister Nicola Willis was optimistic that economic fortunes would improve before the election.
“There’s always more to do, and we have ahead of us several months before an election, and our government will be working hard every week to make more progress, to make more changes, to make a difference to New Zealanders’ everyday lives,” she said.
“I’m always conscious that yes, the GDP data has improved. Yes, the Official Cash Rate is down. Yes, the business confidence index is up. But families need to feel that at home.”
National’s campaign chair Chris Bishop said it was “game on” and it would be a big year.
“It’ll be a really clear contrast at the election, and I’m really confident people will make the right decision, but there’s a long way to run between now and the end of the year.”
National’s campaign chair Chris Bishop.RNZ / Nathan McKinnon
Bishop said he expected his workload would loosen closer to the start of the campaign.
“I don’t sleep a lot as it is. So it’s all good,” he said.
“I like being busy, and I like the portfolios that I’ve got the privilege of being in charge of, but ultimately that’s over to the Prime Minister. We will probably be having a chat about potentially freeing me up to focus on the campaign, because that is a really key responsibility. But that’s all down the line, and I’m really relaxed about it.”
While a ministerial reshuffle was not announced at the retreat, Luxon has previously said that retirements may necessitate one.
No MPs have announced their retirement at the retreat, and none would give much away of their intentions on their way into the caucus meeting.
Bishop said any retirement announcements were for the individuals to make, and he would not divulge chats he had had with his colleagues.
National party president Sylvia Wood said National went into the end of last year “really, really well” and the party was feeling good.
“We’ve got a great ground game. We’ve got a great set of members. So it’s going to be good,” she said.
Ahead of the 2023 election, the party gave its membership a goal of hitting 45 percent of the party vote, which it did not meet, landing on 38 percent.
Wood would not say whether there would be a target again this time, only saying she wanted a “really, really good” party vote.
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa protested outside the event at the Commodore Hotel.
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa protested outside the National caucus retreat.RNZ / Nathan McKinnon
Organiser John Minto criticised the government for not sanctioning Israel and not recognising Palestinian statehood.
He said pro-Palestine groups would continue to protest other National Party events “again and again” throughout the election year.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
Analysis by Keith Rankin, 21 January 2026
Truth in world affairs is not a single expert-narrated story.
National Politics
Keith Rankin, trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
In our ‘official’ ‘United Nations’ world – the world referenced by the expression the international rules-based order – there are about 200 sovereign nation states (ie ‘countries’) which are equal members of the global community of nations. We mean equal in a juridical sense, not an economic or demographic sense; as recognised by ‘one nation, one vote’ in the United Nations General Assembly. Further, in this sanctioned and sanctified view – using the verb ‘sanction’ in its original old-fashioned sense – neither history nor geographical proximity matter; Mexico is as independent of the United States as it is of India.
Before moving on to geopolitics, there are four exceptions allowed within this official view. First is that there are numerous pieces of territory which are understood as too small – in population and/or land area – to be viable independent sovereign nation states. Second, some sovereign nation states – usually neighbours – may form a voluntary Union, whereby certain aspects of their sovereignty are ceded to centralised institutions. Third is that many citizens do not reside in the territories associated with their nationalities. And three exceptions not allowed for, but acknowledged to varying extents: countries that don’t exist but do exist; territories subject to internationally tolerated military occupation; and territories within recognised nation-states pushing for secession, though falling well short of either self-government or union with similarly-placed neighbouring territories.
An example of the first type of exception is Greenland, accounted for as a ‘realm’ territory of Denmark. (Other familiar realm territories are: Cook Islands [in the realm of New Zealand], American Samoa, and New Zealand’s closest foreign neighbour [Norfolk Island, in the realm of Australia].) The second exception is the European Union (noting that, in some circumstances – consider FIFA – the United Kingdom is also a Union of [four] nations). Might Canada join the European Union this century?
The third exception – the diaspora exception – applies to a degree to all nation states; and it applies particularly to New Zealand. New Zealand possibly has more citizens resident outside of New Zealand relative to citizens resident inside New Zealand; at least if we only consider countries with resident populations in excess of one million. Is New Zealand its citizenry or its territory? Given the realities of dual-citizenship, it is probably better defined as its territory along with its residentcitizens and denizens.
The fourth generally accepted exception is territories that are formally non-sovereign. Our example here is Antarctica. We may add the Moon.
Re the unsanctioned exceptions, Taiwan is the obvious example of the first type (other examples include Abkhazia and Somaliland) and Palestine is the obvious example of the second type. For the third (secessionist) type, I would cite Eastern Congo in which substantial domestic forces are in reality more aligned to nearby Kigali than faraway Kinshasa; I would also mention Myanmar’s Rakhine state, home to the Rohingya people.
Geopolitics
While the above ‘national politics’ narrative is real and contains a legal structure satisfying to its liberal architects, it is overlaid by an equally real (and quite different) geopolitical layer. Conflicts of big ego and big ideology can neither be understood nor resolved without substantial reference to geopolitics. Geopolitics is tied to both contested histories and geographical proximity. More than anything geopolitics is about empire (formal and informal), the unequal coalitions and powerplays among and between identities of people beyond and within territorial boundaries.
Geopolitics is about the centres of political power – the ‘great powers’ to use an expression from World War One – and their rival claims over the planet and its people. Geopolitical texts commonly refer to cities that are power centres, such as Washington and Berlin, rather than the countries in which those cities are located. Most conflict in the world can only be understood with recourse to geopolitics, which is largely the sociopathic politics of power masquerading as a set of struggles of ‘Good versus Evil’.
At least the president of the United States, DJT, is in a sense more honest than most ‘democratic’ leaders of powerful countries, in that he frames his acquisitive sentiments in the name of America rather than in the name of Good or in the name of God. Coveted Greenland looms larger in geopolitics than in national politics; in national politics it successfully hides in plain sight, as a large appendage of a semi-sovereign nation with a population barely larger than New Zealand.
Greenland: History
Greenland presently – at least formally – lies within the realm of Denmark, noting that ‘realm’ is itself a sanctioned rules-based exception. Denmark, as a member of the European Union, has delegated aspects of its sovereignty; from Copenhagen to Brussels and Paris and Berlin.
The first question to ask about Greenland is: why is it in the possession of the Kingdom of Denmark? Greenland was never conquered or colonised by Danes or by Denmark. Over 1,000 years ago, Greenland was colonised by Norse (ie Norwegian) Vikings. Greenland’s first people were Inuit, and the present population is substantially an Inuit/Norse mix. Around 500 years ago, Norway and Denmark formed a political union – a kingdom in which Denmark was the dominant partner – which lasted around 300 years. In that age of imperialism, Greenland became formally subject to that kingdom. This was a marriage between Denmark and Norway during the constrained period of the Little Ice Age. Greenland was ‘matrimonial property’ in this Union.
In 1814, Norway was passed on to Sweden through the Treaty of Kiel, in an era in which the wife was regarded as the property of the husband. Thus, Denmark formally gained Greenland as part of the divorce settlement. That remains the historical basis for Denmark’s claim over Greenland today. Though we remind ourselves that today’s reality is that Denmark is a somewhat junior partner in the polyamorous European Union. (Would Denmark get to keep Greenland if Denmark was to do a ‘Dexit’? Or would Greenland be passed on to the other husbands and wives?)
Greenland: Geography
Functionally, at least in geo-environmental terms, Greenland is the northern land-analogue of Antarctica. Arctica. While it doesn’t literally cover the North Pole (except that a large sheet of sea-ice extends from northern Greenland), it is near enough; and its land ice-sheet is certainly the northern analogue of the West Antarctica ice sheet. Based on this analogy, Greenland could become subject to a similar extranationalism to that which governs Antarctica. The difference of course is that Antarctica has no formally resident population; almost nobody was born there. The model could be adapted, with authentic Greenlanders becoming limited-power-landlords over an essentially international territory.
When I was a child, it was very common for families to have a globe in their living rooms, somewhere between the mantlepiece and the piano. About 15 years ago, I was lucky enough to have acquired a 3D jigsaw puzzle of the world; indeed, a small self-assembly globe. To see Greenland in perspective, it’s necessary to look at a globe. Short of that, see this satellite picture of North America from the Turtle Island page on Wikipedia.
(I was privileged to learn about Turtle Island when I visited Winnipeg in May 2019. When I walked through the Peace Park at The Forks, I learned for the first time about Turtle Island. See on YouTube: Winnipeg – the heart of Turtle Island. [And note this 16 December 2025 BBC story FBI foils New Year’s Eve terror plot across southern California, officials say relating to the Turtle Island Liberation Front.] I have a personal story about Greenland. While never having set foot there, I remember having a window seat flying from London to Los Angeles one October day. I saw the sun set somewhere northwest of Scotland; then a couple of hours later I saw it rise again, from the west, over Greenland. This was only possible because at such polar latitudes, an east-west flight is fast enough to be able to reverse the sunset.)
The map, in correct perspective, very much shows Greenland as a not-very-green part of North America. Its closest neighbour is of course Canada; indeed since 2022 Greenland has shared a land border with Greenland, on Hans Island in the Kennedy Channel, following the resolution of the Whisky War between Canada and Denmark. (It is unknown whether the Kennedy Channel was named after a Canadian fur-trader and politician, or the guy who was United States Secretary of the Navy in 1852 and 1853. If the latter, this might give false credence to DJT’s claim on Greenland for the United States.)
Greenland certainly looks to be geographically American – just as Norfolk Island geographically connects to New Zealand (on the Zealandia continent). But a geographical argument must also based on the connectivity between population centres. The flight distances from Nuuk, Greenland’s capital, to other capital cities are: Reykjavik, Iceland (1,430 km); Ottawa, Canada (2,560km); Dublin, Ireland (2,800km); Oslo, Norway (3,150km); London, UK (3,250km); Washington DC, US (3,260km); Brussels, EU (3,520km); Copenhagen, Denmark (3,530); Berlin, Germany (3,820); Moscow, Russia (4,630km); Beijing, China (8,400km).
Washington is closer to Nuuk than is Copenhagen. Dublin is the closest EU capital city to Nuuk, and is a more economically connected city to the North Atlantic than is Copenhagen. Brussels, formal capital of the EU is the same distance from Nuuk as is Copenhagen. Berlin, the geopolitical capital of the EU, is nearly 4,000 km from Nuuk (whereas New York, the power capital of the US is less than 3,000km from Nuuk). Moscow and Beijing are both much further from Greenland, have had no geopolitical influence there, and constitute no plausible geopolitical threat; future security issues in Greenland are more likely to emanate from piracy than from power centres in Asia.
While there is no argument in favour of the United States annexing or otherwise acquiring Greenland, the case for European Union control of Greenland is even weaker than that of the United States. The only European countries with credible claims to form a Union with Greenland are Norway and Iceland, on the basis of shared history and shared maritime geography.
Greenland: Demography
Greenland’s population of just under 60,000 is only slightly higher than the populations of the American realm territories of American Samoa and the Northern Marianas Islands. Guam has three times more people than Greenland. The American Virgin Islands, with 100,000 people, is more populated than Greenland. The largest American realm territory, Puerto Rico, has 300 times as many people as Greenland. Of these ‘countries’, only Puerto Rico is a serious candidate to become the 51st state of the United States. The Virgin Islanders don’t even drive on the same side of the road as the rest of the United States.
I suspect that the DJT vision for Greenland is for it to become something like the former Panama Canal Zone; a former American territory that existed when I sailed through the Panama Canal in 1974. Of course we are aware that DJT would like to re-acquire that Panamanian territory for the United States.
Greenland is different though, in the same way that Antarctica is. It has many potentially valuable mining resources; and it lies on economically significant sea channels which are becoming more navigable thanks to climate change. And it has global environmental values. A collapse of the Greenland Ice Sheet would drown all of Manhattan and most of the rest of New York; as well as much of other cities mentioned above such as Dublin, London and Copenhagen.
Greenland as Arctica
Greenland’s people can become landlords – but not landlords with monopoly power – able to procure citizens’ royalties (public property rights) from both extractive industries and the use of its sea-lanes. Greenland requires a Treaty of Nuuk, with a limited concession of sovereignty in return for those benefits; but a concession that leaves property rights in Greenland essentially the same as property rights in Antarctica.
The Greenland question needs to be addressed. It is not sufficient for it to become a de facto territory of Europe – which eventually means Berlin. And it is too large a landmass to be independent in the way that Iceland is.
Warning
By understanding Greenland essentially as an inhabited Anti-Antarctica – as Arctica – we have to realise that the present United States regime may seek to undermine (literally and metaphorically) current arrangements for Antarctica. And when DJT turns his gaze southwards, he may look upon independent sovereign countries in the South Pacific as parts of his growing fiefdom. The South Pacific is America’s gateway to McMurdo Sound, in Antarctica. A number of ‘independent’ and proud countries in the South Pacific – Tonga, for example – already dutifully vote largely according to the United States’ say-so in the United Nations.
If Antarctica becomes a template for Greenland, that’s a definite improvement on the present accidental and unsustainable arrangement; but only if Antarctica’s present governance arrangements are preserved.
Watch what happens if Nasa’s Artemis Program successfully re-lands American men on the Moon. The Washington regime may lay claim to privileged property rights over the Moon – much as Wentworth acquired New Zealand’s South Island in 1839, requiring a treaty (Treaty of Waitangi) to repudiate that claim. If the United States believes it owns the Moon, it may stake a similar claim on Antarctica; and also seek to extend its Pacific realm. Citing America’s security! And breaking the Seventh and Tenth Commandments.
While current American-led geopolitics poses a deeply problematic story for resource-rich and low-populated territories, the expert-led official story of international politics is problematic too. The status-quo is not necessarily the best solution.
*******
Keith Rankin (keith at rankin dot nz), trained as an economic historian, is a retired lecturer in Economics and Statistics. He lives in Auckland, New Zealand.
More than 3200 patients left the emergency department without being treated.RNZ / REECE BAKER
Wellington Hospital’s emergency department went into its most critical code red status nearly twice a day last year.
An Official Information Act response released to the Labour Party reveals the department recorded 575 code reds between January and October, when demand outstripped available staff and beds.
The data also shows only about half of patients were treated and moved on within six hours, below the government’s target.
More than 3200 patients left the emergency department without being treated – around 10 people a day.
In a statement, Health New Zealand group director operations Capital Coast & Hutt Valley, Jamie Duncan said emergency department escalation and scoring systems helped to identify periods of pressure and guide consistent responses.
“They reflect a highly dynamic environment that can change throughout the day as patient volumes, staffing and bed availability fluctuates,” he said.
“While we acknowledge there is still work to do, Wellington Hospital’s ‘Shorter Stays in ED’ performance is improving, with 2025 year-to-date results around five percentage points higher than 2024, with a clear upward trend since July 2025, increasing from 48.4 percent in July to 61.0 percent in December 2025.”
Wellington Hospital emergency nurse Ryan O’Donnell said staffing shortages at the hospital meant patients were receiving sub-optimal care.
“We are trying to run between patients left, right and centre and we are trying to look after more patients then we can at that given moment and that’s when sub-optimal care happens, that’s when mistakes can happen,” he said.
O’Donnell added that patients were being left in emergency department corridors.
Labour’s Health spokesperson Dr Ayesha Verrall said the code red figures represented a 135 percent overload.
“Code reds mean staff cannot cope with demand, meaning patients aren’t able to get the care they need when they need it. Patients who don’t stick around are likely to get worse and need more urgent care in the future,” she said.
Health Minister Simeon Brown said Wellington Hospital’s emergency department had unacceptable wait times and was among the lowest-performing in the country.
“Our ED doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers work incredibly hard and are focused on delivering the best possible care for patients, but they need infrastructure that supports them to reduce wait times and improve patient flow,” he said.
The Minister said the Wellington ED redevelopment had been prioritised and fully funded through Budget 2025, with work already underway across the hospital campus.
He said the government had also directed Health New Zealand to progress extended hours for urgent and after-hours care in central Wellington, to reduce pressure on the emergency department.
“In the meantime, I have been very clear with Health New Zealand that the current situation at Wellington Hospital’s Emergency Department is not good enough for patients or staff, and I expect to see improvements.”
The Minister pointed to a $20 million funding boost announced in September last year to increase frontline emergency department staffing nationwide over nine months, including additional support for Wellington Hospital.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on January 21, 2026.
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The world is in water bankruptcy, UN scientists report – here’s what that means Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kaveh Madani, Director of the Institute for Water, Environment and Health, United Nations University The world is now using so much fresh water amid the consequences of climate change that it has entered an era of water bankruptcy, with many regions no longer able to bounce back
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A crash near a busy Christchurch intersection is causing delays.
Emergency services were called to the crash near the intersection of State Highway 73 – Yaldhurst Road and State Highway 1 – Masham Road in Russley about 1.30pm.
St John says one person has been transported to Christchurch Hospital in a serious condition while another person with minor injuries declined treatment.
Waka Kotahi says the vehicles involved in the crash are blocking the road and people should avoid the area if they can.
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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum’s support for resettling Palestinian children orphaned by Israel’s genocide in Gaza barely rates a mention, reports Towards Democracy.
COMMENTARY:By Jeremy Rose
At the beginning of last month, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum stood in front of an estimated 600,000 supporters in Zócalo Square and reflected on the achievements of her first year in office and the seven years since the Morena Party, which she heads, came to power.
It was quite a list: 13 million people lifted out of poverty; the minimum wage increased by 125 percent; Indigenous and Afro-Mexican communities allocated budgets to run their own affairs; a locally produced people’s electric car about to roll off production lines; a new fast rail system crossing the country; a national park spanning 5.7 million hectares across Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala; a 37 percent drop in homicides — and on it went.
Sheinbaum is Mexico’s first woman president, its first Jewish president, and a climate scientist who was part of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize–winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change team.
In short, she has a story to tell, but it’s not one our media pays enough attention to.
That speech — where she declared the end of neoliberalism in Mexico — barely rated a mention in the world’s English-language press.
The grope that trumped the anti-Trump In fact, Sheinbaum’s extraordinarily popular first year in office — El Paísreports she has an approval rating of over 70% — has been largely ignored by the English-language media, with three notable exceptions: when she was groped by a man on the streets of Mexico City last November, it made front-page news around the globe; a much-hyped series of “Gen Z” protests; and her dignified, and at times witty, responses to bellicose threats to Mexico’s sovereignty from the US president — which have seen her labelled the anti-Trump.
So why the lack of interest? Some possibilities, none of them edifying, spring to mind: if it doesn’t involve violence, Latin America rarely rates a mention in the media; Sheinbaum is a woman; and she’s leftwing.
But for each of those, there’s at least one counter-example that suggests this isn’t always the case.
Argentina’s right-wing libertarian president, Javier Milei, is widely reported on despite coming from a country with little over a third of Mexico’s population and GDP. Milei is a poster boy for right-leaning pundits from Auckland to London.
Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern — leader of a country of just five million people compared to Mexico’s 130 million — was widely reported on while in office, and with the recent publication of her memoir has been the subject of more feature articles in recent months than Sheinbaum has generated in a year in office.
And finally, and perhaps most interestingly, there was the saturation coverage of Zoran Mamdani’s run and eventual victory in the New York mayoral election.
Sheinbaum’s successful campaign to become the equivalent of mayor of Mexico City — with a population significantly larger than New York’s — in 2018 was barely reported, despite running on a similarly leftwing, if notably more ambitious, platform.
Mamdani’s campaign and victory were newsworthy but, on any metric, less significant than Sheinbaum’s time in office.
World’s most popular leader She is arguably the world’s most popular leader, delivering on promises more far-reaching and consequential than anything on offer in the Big Apple.
A promise by Mamdani to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should he visit New York — something he almost certainly cannot deliver on — was widely reported, while Sheinbaum’s support for resettling Palestinian children orphaned by Israel’s genocide in Gaza barely rated a mention. (Mexico has also joined South Africa’s International Court of Justice genocide case against Israel.)
The contrast between the saturation coverage of Mamdani and the paucity of coverage of Sheinbaum holds true for both conservative and liberal media.
The Wall Street Journal ran 50-plus editorials and op-eds criticising Mamdani in the run-up to his election but just three or four on Sheinbaum in her first year in office, all focusing on her alleged failure to tackle violence and the cartels. (In fact, homicides are down, though still extremely high.)
Even Jacobin magazine, one of the few US outlets to provide in-depth coverage of Mexico’s so-called “Fourth Transformation,” has given far more coverage to Mamdani, with a recent podcast declaring New York the epicentre of global socialism.
Whatever the explanation for the scant coverage of Sheinbaum, the achievements and popularity of the Morena movement are worth talking about.
The Donroe Doctrine’s threat to Mexico There’s little doubt we’ll be hearing more about Mexico over the coming months, but the focus will almost certainly be on the threat from the north, not the achievements and promise of the Fourth Transformation.
After the illegal abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on January 3, President Trump turned his sights on Mexico, declaring Sheinbaum to be a “tremendous woman, she’s a very brave woman, but Mexico is run by the cartels”.
Having designated the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels as terrorist organisations at the beginning of his second term in office, Trump had already signalled the possibility of military intervention in Mexico.
Sheinbaum’s response to both the Venezuelan intervention and the implied threat to Mexican sovereignty was resolute and principled:
“We categorically reject intervention in the internal affairs of other countries. The history of Latin America is clear and compelling: intervention has never brought democracy, never generated well-being, nor lasting stability.
“Only the people can build their own future, decide their path, exercise sovereignty over their natural resources, and freely define their form of government.”
Trump has other ideas, recently declaring that the US military could attack the cartels without congressional approval.
“I don’t think we’re necessarily going to ask for a declaration of war,” he said. “I think we’re just gonna kill people that are bringing drugs into our country. We’re going to kill them. They’re going to be, like, dead.”
Trump has dubbed the new era the Donroe Doctrine — a reference to his regime’s embrace of the Monroe Doctrine, named for President James Monroe, who declared the Western Hemisphere an area of US influence in the 1820s.
200 years of brutal interventions It was the beginning of more than 200 years of brutal interventions by the US state, including a war on Mexico that resulted in the US taking over approximately 1.36 million sq km of Mexican territory — about 55 percent of the country.
Last year Trump hung a portrait of the country’s 11th president James Polk in the White House. Polk was responsible for the Mexican-American war of 1846-1848 which ended with the ceding of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Colorado and Wyoming to the USA, in exchange for $15 million.
Trump has pointed to the portrait and told visitors: “He got a lot of land.”
His play on words with the Donroe Doctrine is characteristically narcissistic but also painfully accurate. It is the geopolitics of a gangster state.
In a world reeling from the criminal actions of that gangster state — from its continued bankrolling of genocide, to the extrajudicial killing of alleged drug smugglers, to SS-like round-ups of “foreigners” on its city streets, to threats to take over the sovereign territory of an ally — Mexico and its president, Claudia Sheinbaum, are a beacon of hope.
There is plenty I haven’t even touched on:
The election of an Indigenous lawyer, Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, as head of the Supreme Court;
The construction of 1.1 million affordable homes over the next six years, generating hundreds of thousands of jobs;
The launch of SaberesMX, a free national online platform designed to democratise access to knowledge and provide lifelong learning opportunities across Mexico; and
Sheinbaum’s daily morning press conferences, where she speaks directly to the nation.
If past experience is anything to go by, the mainstream media’s ignoring of Morena’s successes is unlikely to end any time soon.
The good news is that there are alternatives. Mexico Solidarity Media is a great source of original articles, translations from local media, and podcasts, and Substack writer and former Boston Globe and LA Times journalist Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez regularly writes about Mexico from a progressive perspective.
Jeremy Rose is a Wellington-based journalist and broadcaster and his Towards Democracy blog is at Substack. This article was first published at Towards Democracy and is republished with permission.
The latest weather warning and watches map from MetService for Wednesday.MetService
This is the latest weather advice from MetService.
A strong and extremely humid northeasterly flow precedes a tropical low that is forecast to approach New Zealand from the north today. Heavy rain, downpours and easterly gales are expected to affect many areas. The rain and wind should ease Thursday after the low crosses the country. Red and Orange Warnings are in force for many areas.
Please stay up to date with the latest forecasts.
Heavy Rain Warning – Red
Area: Northland
Period: 14hrs from 9am – 11pm Wed, 21 Jan
Forecast: Expect another 90 to 120 mm of rain on top of what has already accumulated, or possibly more in some localised areas, especially in the north and east. Peak rates 25 to 40 mm/h in localised downpours from this afternoon.
Impact: Threat to life from dangerous river conditions, significant flooding and slips. Conditions will disrupt travel, make some roads impassable, and isolate communities.
Action: Do not enter floodwaters and avoid travel. Act quickly to self-evacuate if you see rising water. Be ready for power and communications outages. Preparedness advice.
Area: Coromandel Peninsula
Period: 18hrs from 9am Wed, 21 Jan – 3am Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Expect a further 200 to 250 mm of rain on top of what has already accumulated, especially about the higher ground. Peak rates of 25 to 40 mm/h in downpours from this afternoon.
Impact: Threat to life from dangerous river conditions, significant flooding and slips. Conditions will disrupt travel, make some roads impassable, and isolate communities.
Action: Do not enter floodwaters and avoid travel. Act quickly to self-evacuate if you see rising water. Be ready for power and communications outages. Preparedness advice.
Area: Bay of Plenty including Rotorua
Period: 24hrs from 9am Wed, 21 Jan – 9am Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Expect a further 180 to 240 mm of rain on top of what has already accumulated. Peak rates of 25 to 40 mm/h in downpours from Wednesday evening. Note that downpours may affect any part of the area.
Impact: Threat to life from dangerous river conditions, significant flooding and slips. Conditions will disrupt travel, make some roads impassable, and isolate communities.
Action: Do not enter floodwaters and avoid travel. Act quickly to self-evacuate if you see rising water. Be ready for power and communications outages. Preparedness advice.
Area: Gisborne from Tolaga bay northwards
Period: 26hrs from 9am Wed, 21 Jan – 11am Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Expect a further 250 to 350 mm of rain on top of what has already accumulated. Peak rates of 25 to 40 mm/h in downpours from late this evening.
Impact: Threat to life from dangerous river conditions, significant flooding and slips. Conditions will disrupt travel, make some roads impassable, and isolate communities.
Action: Do not enter floodwaters and avoid travel. Act quickly to self-evacuate if you see rising water. Be ready for power and communications outages. Preparedness advice.
Heavy Rain Warning – Orange
Area: Tasman west of Mapua
Period: 18hrs from 4pm Wed, 21 Jan – 10am Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Expect 80 to 120 mm of rain. Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h expected. Low chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.
Impact: Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible.
Action: Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain. Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously. Preparedness advice.
Area: Auckland and Great Barrier Island
Period: 17hrs from 9am Wed, 21 Jan – 2am Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Expect 80 to 120 mm of rain with the largest accumulations in the east and about Great Barrier Island. Peak rates of 25 to 40 mm/h in downpours in the east and about great Barrier Island expected from about noon today. Low chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.
Impact: Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible.
Action: Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain. Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously. Preparedness advice.
Area: Gisborne south of Tolaga Bay and Hawke’s Bay
Period: 24hrs from 10am Wed, 21 Jan – 10am Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Expect 100 to 150 mm of rain. Peak rates of 10 to 20 mm/h expected. Low chance of upgrading to a Red Warning.
Impact: Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible.
Action: Clear your drains and gutters to prepare for heavy rain. Avoid low-lying areas and drive cautiously. Preparedness advice.
Heavy Rain Watch
Area: Waikato, Waitomo and Taupo
Period: 18hrs from 9am Wed, 21 Jan – 3am Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria. Moderate chance of upgrading to a Warning.
Area: Tasman and Nelson Districts east of about Mapua
Period: 18hrs from 4pm Wed, 21 Jan – 10am Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria. Moderate chance of upgrading to a Warning.
Area: Buller and Grey Districts
Period: 18hrs from 3pm Wed, 21 Jan – 9am Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria. Moderate chance of upgrading to a Warning.
Area: Canterbury
Period: 19hrs from 6pm Wed, 21 Jan – 1pm Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria. Moderate chance of upgrading to a Warning.
Area: Westland District
Period: 18hrs from 3pm Wed, 21 Jan – 9am Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria. Low chance of upgrading to a Warning.
Strong Wind Watch
Area: Auckland and Great Barrier Island
Period: 14hrs from 9am – 11pm Wed, 21 Jan
Forecast: Easterly winds may approach severe gale in exposed places. Moderate chance of upgrading to a Warning.
Area: Waikato, Coromandel Peninsula, Waitomo and Taupo
Period: 18hrs from 9am Wed, 21 Jan – 3am Thu, 22 Jan
Forecast: Easterly winds may approach severe gale in exposed places. Moderate chance of upgrading to a Warning.
– All information from MetService
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While period pain and heavy menstrual bleeding are common, they’re often dealt with privately. Yet they take a profound toll on a person’s health – and finances.
Now, our new study has calculated how much these menstrual symptoms cost the broader Australian economy.
Our study was based on a survey of 1,796 Australian working women and is published today in The Australian Journal of Social Issues. We found period pain and heavy bleeding costs the Australian economy about A$14 billion every year in lost productivity.
Women aged 35–44 reported significantly higher lost productivity than their younger counterparts.
Our findings highlight the substantial economic rationale for government and workplace policies to help people manage menstrual symptoms.
Periods can be debilitating
In Australia, girls experience their first period (menarche) around 12 years of age.
Periods (menstruation) typically happen every 21–34 days. Most women (and those who menstruate) have regular periods until around 45–55 years of age. Then, menstrual cycles become less regular before stopping altogether at menopause.
Most women will experience around 400–600 periods over their lifetime, unless their menstrual cycles are suppressed by hormonal contraception.
Two common causes of problematic periods are dysmenorrhea (period pain) and heavy menstrual bleeding.
The most common type of period pain (primary dysmenorrhea) affects around 90% of young women under 25 in Australia.
This type of period pain is often worst during the first two days of bleeding. It is primarily caused by high levels of prostaglandin hormones, which are responsible for cramps. Many women also feel fatigue, dizziness, back pain and headaches.
The stigma and taboo associated with menstruation means many women feel they must work very hard to conceal period problems at work. This labour is usually invisible and exhausting. Some women quit work altogether.
Pain inquiry finds gender bias.
What we did and what we found
Our research aimed to investigate:
how common period pain and other menstrual symptoms are for Australian women in paid employment over 18 years and
the impact of menstruation on work productivity (via presenteeism and absenteeism).
Presenteeism accounts for productivity losses at work while an employee is present but not working at full capacity. It’s like going to work with a migraine: you might be physically present but you aren’t doing your best work.
Absenteeism is being away from work on paid or unpaid sick leave.
We collected data via an online survey of 1,796 Australian working women.
Survey participants were over 18, currently living in Australia and had had at least one period in the last three months. They were in paid employment (including self-employment) and/or volunteering for at least three months.
Our study found that 97% of women who responded had period pain in the last three months, and 75% said they always have period pain when menstruating. Previous research in Australia has found that over 90% of young women report period pain and around 71% worldwide.
Because of this we used more conservative estimates of 90% of women experiencing period pain (high) and 70% experiencing period pain (low) to calculate our range of economic figures for the population.
We estimated lost productivity in Australia associated with menstrual symptoms at A$7,176 per person annually, with an estimated total annual economic burden of $14.005 billion.
Together, presenteeism and absenteeism accounted for 46% of total productivity loss.
And remember, our study only looked at paid employment among full‑time and part‑time workers. The implications for unpaid labour, particularly women’s unpaid care work and its profound economic and social importance, demands further study (which we are progressing).
We also note that the impact of menstruation on the Australian economy is more complex than is established through our current data set, which doesn’t account for things such as the economy-wide costs of medical care and treatment.
In other words, our estimate is conservative.
Why does this matter?
Given the substantive economic impacts demonstrated through our study, menstrual symptom management in the workplace is not a private concern to be managed by individual workers.
Menstrual symptoms affect the broader economy and society. Workplace policies and guidelines are needed to support employees experiencing period pain, fatigue and associated symptoms.
At the workplace level, employers have an opportunity to start a dialogue with staff about changes to workplace conditions that could enhance employee productivity, health and wellbeing.
This could, for instance, include things such as reproductive leave (on top of the usual sick leave provisions), remote and hybrid work arrangements and flexible time management policies (including rest periods).
Our study findings also highlight the significant economic rationale for government to address this workplace issue with laws and policies.
Enshrining minimum standards for workplaces to support employees impacted by menstrual symptoms reduces the burden on individual workplaces to formulate policies and eliminates reliance on senior management’s interest.
If governments and employers want to increase productivity, our research shows the answer could be hiding in plain sight.
Mike Armour receives funding from the MRFF for projects related to menstrual health literacy outside this work.
Michelle O’Shea 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.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bricklyn Priebe, Associate Lecturer in Criminology and Justice, School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast
Child sexual abuse cases involving female perpetrators are confronting and distressing. When these cases make the news, they often provoke shock and outrage.
Yet, in the United States, approximately 7.6% of confirmed cases are perpetrated by women or girls, though some US states report it to be as high as 36%.
In Australia, recorded sexual assault offences involving women and girls have increased from 222 offenders in 2008–09 to 678 in 2023–24: a 205% rise.
Public attention has long focused on male perpetrators and on what happens after abuse is uncovered (including prosecution and punishment or cases not proceeding to court).
Prevention, however, requires us to act earlier and to ask a different question: what might have prevented these women from sexually abusing a child in the first place?
We spoke directly with 18 women convicted of child sexual abuse offences in three states/territories in Australia.
These conversations were not about minimising or excuse-making, but about uncovering missed opportunities for support and intervention throughout their lives that they believe may have prevented them from sexual offending.
Many of these women described needing help long before they abused a child. Many had grown up experiencing their own abuse or neglect.
They talked about wanting counselling, mental health support, guidance around relationships and practical help with parenting.
For some, these unresolved needs and vulnerabilities were closely tied to their experiences in intimate relationships.
One participant who co-offended with her male partner reflected on how early support might have changed her situation:
It would have been good just to have the opportunity to get out of the relationship earlier […] so having resources or counselling or anything really. It got to a point where it was just too late. I was stuck.
Others spoke about repeated attempts to get help from support services, only to encounter barriers that left them feeling dismissed, unsupported and their concerns minimised. As one participant explained:
I really was trying to engage and get help […] they just turned [me] away, it’s like they didn’t want to help me.
Some women did not know what services existed to help them at different times in their lives. Others faced long waitlists and cost barriers.
Several women also described how shame and fear fuelled their silence, including fear of judgement or legal consequences. One woman said:
I should have opened up […] but I didn’t know how to. It’s not that I needed more people to talk to, it’s that I needed to know how to talk to them.
Together, these accounts highlight a key limitation in current prevention and early intervention efforts.
Availability of services alone is not enough; accessibility matters. If people cannot find, afford or safely connect to support then prevention efforts will likely fail.
It’s not just prevention that’s needed
We also acknowledge that while accessibility matters, not everyone will seek support.
In fact, a minority of women in our study admitted nothing would have prevented their offending.
Some felt they weren’t aware they needed help until it was too late, or they would not have accepted it at the time anyway.
This reinforces the necessity for both effective prevention and response.
The women’s accounts in our study reinforce growing calls for gender-responsive strategies.
While risk factors such as trauma, isolation and substance use are not exclusive to girls and women, they often intersect differently with gendered social roles and expectations compared with men.
For example, parenting stress, relationship toxicity and financial insecurity disproportionately affect women and can compound vulnerability.
By no means do these factors minimise or excuse offending, nor do they fully explain it.
Rather, it is about recognising that prevention and early intervention efforts need to address these gendered risks in order to better protect children from harm.
Importantly, these findings support much of the broader prevention work already underway in Australia, such as:
These are all designed to intervene earlier, reduce isolation and support people as ways to prevent harm and safeguard children.
Our findings align with a growing body of evidence suggesting prevention works best when it is practical and embedded from childhood through adulthood.
The challenge that remains is ensuring services are not only available but visible, accessible, nonjudgmental and clearly inclusive of girls and women.
The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Larissa Christensen is affiliated with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation.
Bricklyn Priebe, Nadine McKillop, and Susan Rayment-McHugh do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
The death of Rob Hirst from pancreatic cancer at the age of 70 is the close of a long and, in many ways, surprising career.
Hirst was the drummer and songwriter who, though far from the figurehead of Midnight Oil, was nonetheless an integral part – perhaps the backbone – of one of the most consistently adventurous and principled groups of the last half-century.
For most, Midnight Oil means Peter Garrett. But it was Garrett who answered an ad to join Farm, Hirst’s band with Jim Moginie and Andrew James, in 1972. Were it not for his arrival, the group might not have gone far beyond the northern beaches of Sydney: Garrett was striking as a performer and his singing was distinctive (though, like Jimmy Barnes, he did not sing all the great songs his band was famous for).
While Midnight Oil’s members recognised a common purpose and achieved an extraordinary amount on a range of fronts, Hirst’s memoir of their early 21st century United States tour shows there was always some measure of tension between them.
In 1980, Hirst told Toby Creswell of Rolling Stone he didn’t like Garrett’s taste, “and he doesn’t like mine […] You’re really putting together people who don’t get on socially or musically.”
Not there to compromise
Midnight Oil’s records were exceptionally high quality from the outset.
Their self-titled first album was what you’d expect from a group which took pleasure in Australian surfing “head” music bands like Tully and Kahvas Jute.
Their second, Head Injuries, was brash and stark: they had emerged, for better or worse, at the time of punk/new wave but fitted as uneasily with X or The Saints as with blunter, more traditional rock groups like AC/DC.
Their 12″ EP Bird Noises was as fine a summation of their approach as could be imagined. The Hirst/Garrett cowrite No Time for Games has a social message, a distinctive vocal from Garrett and of course, extraordinary drums, restrained when they had to be but ever servicing the song’s dynamics.
From the very beginning, they made it clear that they were not available to undertake the usual compromises the record industry expected for career furtherance.
Famously, they refused to play Countdown. In hindsight, they would have been severely out of place there.
Nevertheless, they gave the major groups of the 70s their due; Hirst praised Skyhooks’ Greg Macainsh, for instance, for his use of Australian places and scenes, making it “possible for you to write about, in his case, Carlton and Balwyn […] [now] we’ve got this whole palette of Australian places we can use without a cringe factor.”
On their own terms
Sales and impact of subsequent Midnight Oil albums trace the rise of a group attaining international prominence on its own terms through hard work and consistent attention to detail.
The commercial peak came with the 1987 single Beds are Burning (a cowrite between Garrett, Hirst and Moginie): top ten in France, the US, the Netherlands, Australia and Belgium – and number one in Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.
That it was a song on the world stage highlighting Australian Aboriginal dispossession was perhaps an even greater achievement.
Hirst’s memoir Willie’s Bar and Grill gives a good sense of a group finding the very common way down from the top: the trajectory of the one-hit wonder, in this case experienced while touring post-9/11 US.
They disbanded soon afterwards, not for this reason but because Garrett had been picked by Mark Latham to stand as Labor candidate for Kingsford-Smith in the 2004 federal election. They reunited 13 years later.
A varied career
Hirst had other irons in the fire as early as 1991 when he formed Ghostwriters with Rick Grossman. Perhaps the band’s name signalled a frisson of bitterness about the concentration of attention Garrett garnered in Midnight Oil, but paradoxically its first album was essentially an anonymous release.
Two others followed, and Hirst was also involved in the Backsliders and the Angry Tradesmen.
In 2020 he recorded an album with his daughter, Jay O’Shea, who he had put up for adoption in 1974. In 2025 he released the second of two albums recorded with noted songwriter Sean Sennett.
A 50-year career is almost impossible to sum up briefly, but one song speaks volumes about Hirst. Power and the Passion, the 1983 Midnight Oil hit, features a simple (if infectious) drum machine and what might almost pass for a rap from Garrett, listing a host of demons besetting the citizen at the end of the 20th century, not least from Americanisation and corporatisation.
Hirst plays along with the beat then engages it in an epic battle, executing a remarkable solo which enhances the song while making a statement about working with and against the pernicious machine.
In a career of great work, it’s one highlight that speaks louder than words.
David Nichols 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.
Labour leader Chris Hipkins prepares to address his party’s caucus retreat in West Auckland,RNZ / Lillian Hanly
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has come out swinging at the government in his first speech of election year, saying its responsible for the situation New Zealand is in.
Hipkins said New Zealanders were looking for a “sense of hope” this year as he addressed his party at its caucus retreat in West Auckland, saying people weren’t getting that sense of hope from this government.
“They’re seeing more cuts, more negativity, real doom and gloom from the current government, and what they want is a sense of hope that better is possible and that a better future for New Zealand is possible.”
Hipkins took aim at the Prime Minister’s State of the Nation speech, saying New Zealanders got “another litany of blame and excuses” from Christopher Luxon on Monday when what they wanted was a “plan for the future.”
“Stringing together a bunch of management buzz words is not a plan, and it’s certainly not a vision,” said Hipkins.
There was no leadership from this government, he said, and referenced the comments Luxon had made in the past about New Zealanders.
“We have a prime minister who thinks that low-income New Zealanders are bottom feeders, who think that fundamentally, New Zealand is a wet, whiny, miserable country,” said Hipkins.
He joked that it was “little bit wet today” acknowledging the wind and rain outside the venue.
“But actually, what I heard from Kiwis over the summer break was not whiny and miserable, it was desperate for something to get excited about, for some sense of hope, some sense that the government has an idea about how to make the country better.”
He greeted his MPs at their first gathering following the summer break saying “welcome to election year.”
Hipkins said the party had done the “hard work” over the last couple of years, listening, taking stock, refreshing and renewing themselves after its defeat in 2023.
“Now we are into election year – that means we get to talk about what we want to do, how we will do things differently, but also remind New Zealanders of the absolute mess this government has created.
“Because while they will try and find everybody else to blame for the mess they’ve created, make no bones about it, this government are responsible for the situation that New Zealand is in at the moment.”
Speaking off the cuff to a conference room at the Quality Inn Lincoln Green in West Auckland filled with Labour MPs and staff, who nodded throughout the speech commenting “that’s right” in agreement.
Hipkins spoke of the “record number of Kiwis” who left the country last year looking for “opportunity elsewhere” they couldn’t find in New Zealand.
“That is an absolute indictment on Christopher Luxon and his government.
“New Zealanders now are looking to us to provide that alternative.”
Hipkins said the party had listened, taken stock and renewed itself after its defeat in 2023.RNZ / Lillian Hanly
He spoke of the “structural deficit” Nicola Willis had “created”, pointing to the pre-election fiscal update in 2023, “New Zealand was on a pathway to recovery.”
“We were heading back into surplus.
“The economy was going to start growing again, and the first thing that this government did was a slash and burn exercise that ended all of that.”
Hipkins said Labour wouldn’t be “shy” in reminding New Zealanders the situation they found themselves in now was because of the “bad choices of this government.”
“Tax cuts for landlords and tobacco companies, whilst hard working, New Zealanders find it harder to buy their first home or go and see the doctor.”
He pointed to Labour policies such as the New Zealand Future Fund and three free doctor visits, paid for by a capital gains tax, saying it had been “well received” by people.
“New Zealanders want it. They have made that very clear. They want to see investment moved out of the speculative housing market and into providing opportunities for New Zealanders.”
He blamed the current government for increased unemployment in New Zealand, and more people on job seeker benefits.
“Despite all of their tough talk about sanctions, they’re actually making it harder for New Zealanders to get a job, and we will hold them accountable for that.”
But he said Labour would do more than that by offering a “real and compelling alternative”, because “better is possible.”
He said Willis, Luxon, David Seymour and Winston Peters “all want to tell you that this is as good as it gets” and if they stand back that “somehow things will fix themselves.”
“They won’t.
“It requires some leadership from government, and there’s been no leadership from this government at all.”
Hipkins closed his opening remarks by saying the party was “fired up and excited for election year” and welcoming incoming Labour MP Georgie Dansey, as former Speaker Adrian Rurawhe announces his retirement from politics.
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced that this year’s election will be held on 7 November.
National MPs are gathering for their first caucus meeting of the year in Christchurch, while Labour MPs will also hold theirs in Auckland.
Saturday, 7 November had already been the most mentioned frequently as a likely date.
Several pundits are picking the election to be called for after the American mid-terms set for 3 November, which will be a key indicator for how US President Donald Trump’s remaining two years in office will fare.
You can follow the livestream and our live updates at the top of this page.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announces the general election will be held on 7 November as National’s caucus meets to start the 2026 political year.RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
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Slash at Tolaga Bay following Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.RNZ / Alexa Cook
The mayor of Gisborne says the district’s Civil Defence and emergency services are ready to go ahead of heavy rains forecast for the next 24 hours.
Up to 350mm of rain is expected to fall north of Tolaga Bay overnight.
While nearly 150mm of rain is expected over Gisborne – south of Tolaga Bay – and Hawke’s Bay ahead of 10am Thursday.
Rehette Stoltz said people should avoid any unnecessary travel and be ready for power cuts in the area.
“With the land already so saturated we might see landslips and roads being blocked by trees so please drive the conditions. Also make sure your devices are charged, make sure you’ve got some basics at home if you need to look after yourself or whanau for a day or two,” Stoltz said.
Stoltz said people who were feeling unsafe in their current location should self evacuate if necessary. She said the council was working closely with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), police, ambulance and New Zealand Transport Agency, should the situation escalate.
She urged people to get in touch with Civil Defence or the council if they needed assistance.
Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz.RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Group controller for Tai Rāwhiti Civil Defence, Ben Green, said extra police and Fire and Emergency (FENZ) staff had been brought into the area.
“Across police additional staff [are] coming in, equipment and capability [have been] deployed supplementing particularly rural areas. FENZ have specialist teams bought in – they’re looking to embed some of those in the coastal areas and that allows us the ability to have a bit of back up if we do start losing access on [State Highway] 35.
“St John – in terms of additional medical support – they’re deploying and putting assets up into the northern area of the [East] Cape there.
“That is very much the main effort and focus for today, and that’s certainly been underway from yesterday as well.”
He said Civil Defence was checking in with campgrounds, particularly in coastal areas, where people from out of town might still be holidaying.
Area manager for Tolaga Bay Civil Defence, Greg Shelton, said if people felt unsafe – particularly those in exposed areas or near the Hikuwai River – they should leave their location ahead of nightfall.
Damage caused by Tologa Bay by Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.Supplied / Bridget Parker
Shelton said the high amount of rainfall forecast could see the Hikuwai River reaching levels of up to 12m or more.
“All those people now that are exposed or living along the Hikuwai River – even if they have lifted their houses – we encourage them to leave as well because – if the river does reach 12 [metres] plus, we really don’t want to be out there trying to rescue or find people at night-time.”
Shelton said Mangatuna – which lay along SH35 – was of particular risk, but the whole area should prepare for flooding, fallen trees and possible power cuts.
He said preparations had begun shortly after the incoming weather system was identified over a week ago.
He said overnight teams would be put in place and he was confident that the communities in the area – well versed in dealing with adverse weather – had the current situation under control.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has announced that this year’s election will be held on 7 November.
National MPs are gathering for their first caucus meeting of the year in Christchurch, while Labour MPs will also hold theirs in Auckland.
Saturday, 7 November had already been the most mentioned frequently as a likely date.
Several pundits are picking the election to be called for after the American mid-terms set for 3 November, which will be a key indicator for how US President Donald Trump’s remaining two years in office will fare.
You can follow the livestream and our live updates at the top of this page.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announces the general election will be held on 7 November as National’s caucus meets to start the 2026 political year.RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
John Welch paddles Jazmyn Welch’s partner Holly to safety after their Kūaotunu home was surround by neck-deep, fast-moving floodwaters.Peter de Graaf / RNZ
A woman rescued by kayak from the deck of her Coromandel home on Wednesday morning says she has never seen flooding like it – not even during Cyclone Gabrielle.
Jazmyn Welch said when help arrived, her home at Kūaotunu, north of Whitianga, was surrounded by neck-deep, fast-flowing water – and it was still rising.
The first she knew was when her partner, Holly, got up for work about 5.30am.
“She came into the room, burst open the door, and said, ‘You’ve got to get up now, because the whole entire outside of the house is water, like eye-level water.’ It was so high, and it was getting higher and higher.”
Welch called her father’s partner, a volunteer firefighter, who swung into action straight away.
“They organised a kayak, and my dad came and rescued us from the balcony. The water was getting higher as we were on the phone to dad’s girlfriend. Our house is on stilts and at that point I’d say the water was probably up to my neck.”
“The current next to us was rushing so fast, our barbecue was gone, the gas bottle was floating on the water.”
Her father, John Welch, took the women to safety one at a time, paddling through trees to the nearest dry land about 100 metres away.
“We have a massive backyard and it was completely underwater. Luckily we moved our cars to higher ground the night before.”
Welch and her partner took only their car keys, passports, phones and a change of clothes in dry bags.
They stacked the rest of their belongings on high shelves and on top of the beds, and blocked any gaps under the doors as best they could.
All they could take was their phones, car keys, passports and a change of clothes each, in dry bags provided by the fire brigade.
John Welch paddled through fast-flowing floodwaters to rescue his daughter and her partner from their deck of their Coromandel home.Peter de Graaf / RNZ
With a lot more rain expected overnight, she feared the house would go underwater.
She and Holly were now staying at her father’s home, but Civil Defence had opened up Kūatonu Hall for other residents, her neighbours included, who needed to evacuate.
“I’ve never experienced anything like that before. We moved here three days before Cyclone Gabrielle, so we’ve seen major flooding and major road damage before, but not that bad.
“This house is a little cabin on stilts, and it was 360 [degrees] surrounded by water. It was like we were sitting in the river. It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen, especially at 5.30 in the morning. It was pitch black and there was just water rushing all around us.
“It was pretty, pretty scary, and now we’re sitting safe and dry at dad’s house and praying that water doesn’t go inside the house on Wednesday night. But I’m unsure.”
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
One Nation continues to surge after the Bondi terror attack, as a Morgan poll has them gaining six points at the Coalition’s expense.
A national Australian Morgan poll, conducted January 12–18 from a sample of 1,630, gave Labor a 53.5–46.5 lead by respondent preferences, a 1.5-point gain for Labor since the January 5–11 Morgan poll.
Primary votes were 28.5% Labor (down 1.5), 24% Coalition (down 6.5), 21% One Nation (up six), 13.5% Greens (steady) and 13% for all Others (up two). By 2025 election preference flows, Labor led by 53–47, a one-point gain for Labor.
It’s very unlikely One Nation actually surged six points in one week, and much more likely the previous poll was a pro-Coalition outlier. Resolve is now the only poll that gives the Coalition a clear lead over One Nation (ten points), with all other recent polls now between a one-point lead for One Nation (Newspoll) and four-point Coalition lead (Fox & Hedgehog).
Morgan also had a special SMS poll on Australia Day that was conducted January 14–16 from a sample of 1,311. By 72–28, respondents thought January 26 should be known as “Australia Day”, not “Invasion Day” (68.5–31.5 two years ago). By 60.5–39.5, they thought Australia Day should not be moved from January 26 (58.5–41.5 previously).
Further results from Resolve poll
I covered the Australian national Newspoll and Resolve poll on Monday. In further questions from the Resolve poll for Nine newspapers, supported a royal commission following Bondi by 61-10 (change from 48–17 in late December). By 37–35, respondents thought social cohesion was good rather than poor (37–30 in late December).
On gun laws, 66% wanted them toughened (down ten since late December), 21% kept as they are (up 11) and 7% wanted gun laws relaxed (up one). A big majority still wants tougher gun laws, but right-wing voters are now more opposed than in late December. The Coalition’s opposition to Labor’s gun control laws has probably contributed to increased public opposition.
NSW Resolve poll has strong support for post-Bondi measures
The New South Wales Resolve poll would normally have combined results from the early December and January federal Resolve polls. But the early December poll was pre-Bondi, and it appears The Sydney Morning Herald wants to wait for a complete post-Bondi poll before giving voting intentions.
What we have are questions from the January NSW sample of 550. By 49–19, respondents thought Labor Premier Chris Minns and the state government had had a strong rather than weak response to Bondi. By 67–16, they supported the state government’s gun reforms.
Trump’s ratings in negative double digits after one year
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump’s US net approval has been in negative double digits since late October. Trump became United States president for a second time on January 20, 2025. A year into his second four-year term, Trump’s net approval in Nate Silver’s aggregate of US national polls is -13.0, with 55.0% disapproving and 42.0% approving.
Trump recorded a positive net approval in Silver’s aggregate at the start of his term, but his net approval went negative last March. Since late October, Trump’s net approval has been in negative double digits, with a low of -15.0 in November.
Silver has ratings for past presidents since Harry Truman. At this point in their presidencies, Trump’s net approval is ahead of only his own first term, with Joe Biden the next worst at -12.0 net approval.
On four issues tracked by Silver, Trump’s net approval is -9.5 on immigration, -15.6 on trade, -15.9 on the economy and -25.2 on inflation. Recently, Trump’s net approval on immigration has dropped while his net approval on the other three issues has risen.
Trump’s ratings on immigration may have fallen because of the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent on January 7. On other issues, Trump’s ratings may have risen due to the continued strong stock market.
The benchmark S&P 500 stock market index has risen 7.8% in the last six months, hitting a new peak on January 12, although it slumped 2.1% in last night’s session owing to Trump’s threats of tariffs over Greenland. Trump’s ratings are unlikely to become very poor unless either the stock market or the broader US economy deteriorates markedly.
In a recent Ipsos poll for Reuters, by 47–17 Americans disapproved of US efforts to acquire Greenland, and by 71–4 they thought it was not a good idea to take Greenland using military force.
At midterm elections this November, all 435 members of the House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 senators will be up for election. In Fiftyplusone’s aggregate of the national generic ballot, Democrats lead Republicans by 43.6–39.8.
I wrote on January 7 that if Democrats win the national popular vote by the 3.8 points they lead by in current polls, they would be very likely to gain control of the House, but not the Senate. The two senators per state rule skews Senate elections towards low-population, rural states.
Adrian Beaumont 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.
Alarming as this picture is, focusing only on gradual darkening may miss the most ecologically damaging part of the story.
Our newly published study introduces the phenomenon of “marine darkwaves”: sudden, intense episodes of underwater darkness that can last from days to months and push marine ecosystems into acute stress.
Darkness events are often triggered by storms, floods, sediment plumes or algal blooms. As with marine heatwaves, these short, intense episodes can be just as ecologically disruptive as slow, long-term trends.
Unusual underwater darkness is harmful for a range of marine ecosystems, yet the phenomenon did not have a name and definition until the marine darkwave framework was developed. Artwork of a darkened algal forest by Cassandre Villautreix, underwater picture by Leigh Tait.
Why light matters underwater
When light within the ocean drops suddenly, even for a few days, marine ecosystems can suffer. Prolonged darkness can slow growth, reduce energy reserves and in severe cases lead to dieback or mortality.
Fish, sharks and marine mammals can also change their behaviour when visibility drops, altering feeding and movement patterns.
Until now, scientists have examined ways to track long-term coastal darkening but have lacked a consistent way to identify, measure and compare extreme short-term light-loss events across regions and depths.
In other words, we have known this phenomenon exists – but we haven’t had a shared language to define and describe it. With marine darkwaves, we now have an event-based framework for extreme underwater darkness.
Darkwaves occur when underwater light falls below a depth-specific threshold for a minimum duration, relative to what is normally expected at that location. This allows scientists to identify when conditions shift from merely dim to unusually dark.
Importantly, this framework works across different depths, where light conditions naturally vary; across local to regional scales, from coastal reefs to entire coastlines; and across multiple data sources, including light sensors and satellite observations.
Its consistency enables meaningful comparison of events that were previously difficult to place into broader contexts.
What our research revealed
Our study used long-term datasets from both hemispheres in markedly different coastal regions.
In California, 16 years of underwater light measurements revealed repeated darkwave events, some lasting several weeks. In Aotearoa New Zealand, ten years of monitoring data from Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf showed rapid drops in underwater light during storms, at depths of seven and 20 metres.
Satellite data extending back 21 years revealed a broader pattern. Along New Zealand’s East Cape coast, up to 80 marine darkwaves have occurred since 2002, most linked to storms and river-driven sediment plumes.
Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023 provided a stark example. The storm delivered vast amounts of sediment to coastal waters, smothering many reefs and creating prolonged underwater darkness over large areas.
In some places, the seabed received almost no light for several weeks.
Heavy sediment runoff around Waihau Bay, in New Zealand’s Eastern Bay of Plenty. This was observed following Cyclone Gabrielle on February 14, 2023 – an event that created marine darkwaves for several weeks, with continuing ecological impacts. Copernicus Sentinel data (2023), CC BY-NC-SA
Long-term averages are important, but they can smooth over the very events that cause the greatest ecological damage.
Just as a single marine heatwave can devastate kelp forests and coral reefs, a single marine darkwave can sharply reduce photosynthesis and disrupt ecosystems already stressed by warming, acidification and nutrient pollution.
Climate change is likely to increase the frequency and intensity of these events. Heavier rainfall, stronger storms and intensified land use all increase sediment and organic matter flowing into coastal waters, reducing water clarity and light availability.
Our framework allows identification of discrete periods when light thresholds critical for ecosystem function are crossed.
By focusing on extremes, it provides clearer insights into acute stress on coastal ecosystems. In New Zealand particularly, this information is increasingly important for iwi (tribes) and hapū (sub-tribes), coastal communities, conservation groups and environmental managers making decisions about land use, restoration and marine protection.
Related monitoring work is already underway in parts of New Zealand, where expanded sensor networks aid in linking land-based processes to changes in underwater light, and linking these to ecological changes on coastal reefs.
Ultimately, marine darkwaves remind us that the ocean doesn’t always change slowly. Sometimes, it changes abruptly and quietly if we don’t pay attention.
There is also reason for cautious optimism. Many marine darkwaves are driven by land–sea connections, so their frequency and intensity are not inevitable.
Reducing sediment runoff through nature-based solutions, such as restoring wetlands, stabilising riverbanks, improving harvest techniques of exotic forests, and replanting native forests in vulnerable catchments can directly increase water clarity and underwater light.
Understanding marine darkwaves is not only about detecting change, but also about identifying practical pathways to protect coastal ecosystems before further darkness descends.
The authors acknowledge the contribution of Rahera Ohia, Ngāti Pūkenga, Jean Thoral, Leigh Tait and Cassandre Villautreix.
François Thoral receives funding from the NZ Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment MBIE (Endeavour Fund Tau Ki Ākau UOWX2206). He is affiliated with the University of Waikato, University of Canterbury and Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Christopher Battershill receives funding from the NZ Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment MBIE (Endeavour Fund Tau Ki Ākau UOWX2206 is relevant to this project). He is employed with the University of Waikato and also receives contestable grant funding from other agencies (eg Regional Councils and Department of Conservation).
David R Schiel receives funding from the New Zealand government public good research fund (via the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment; Endeavour Fund Tau Ki Ākau UOWX2206).
Shinae Montie receives funding from The Australian Research Council and the Winifred Violet Scott Charitable Trust. She is associated with the University of Western Australia.
France’s High Commission in French Polynesia has reported the seizure of 4.87 tonnes of cocaine in its maritime zone.
The armed forces in French Polynesia (FAPF), the national gendarmerie and the local branch of the anti-narcotics office (OFAST) were involved in the intercept.
A statement from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have congratulated authorities in French Polynesia over the reported seizure, with the drugs reportedly bound for Australia.
Gulf News reported the cocaine was being transported on a ship sailing under Togo’s flag, according to a source close to the investigation.
AFP commander Stephen Jay said police staff posted in the Pacific, and members of Taskforce Thunder, would seek to work with French Polynesia authorities to identify people linked to the seizure.
Taskforce Thunder, launched in October, targets illicit commodities and the forced movement of people through the Pacific.
Jay said the AFP was committed to working closely with its law enforcement partners to deliver maximum impact against transnational criminal syndicates targeting Australia, the Pacific and throughout Europe.
‘Exceptional work’ “I would like to thank the exceptional work of our partners in French Polynesia, who have prevented a significant amount of illicit drugs from reaching Australia,” Jay said.
“The harm caused by organised crime syndicates attempting to import illicit drugs into Australia is significant, and extends beyond individual users to a myriad of violent and exploitative crimes.”
Australian Border Force acting commander Linda Cappello said Australia’s strongest defence against transnational organised crime was the depth of its relationships across the Pacific and beyond.
“For those seeking to exploit maritime and supply chains to move illicit drugs the message is clear: coordinated vigilance across the region significantly increases the risk of detection and disruption.”
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
At full capacity the Ngā Tamariki power station was expectec to generate enough electricity to supply about 158,000 average homes.Supplied / Mercury Energy
Mercury Energy has powered up its new geothermal generator near Taupō, which is now delivering electricity generation to the national grid.
Built at a cost of $220 million, the new unit is expected to be fully operational by March.
Mercury said the unit will add a further 46 megawatts of renewable energy – enough to power about 55,000 homes – ahead of winter, lifting the station’s installed capacity from 86 MW to 132 MW.
At full capacity, Mercury said the Ngā Tamariki power station would generate around 1120 gigawatt hours of electricity a year, enough to supply about 158,000 average homes – more than all residential homes in Christchurch.
The station is powered by nine geothermal wells drilled more than 3000 metres below the surface, where temperatures reach up to 290 degrees Celsius.
Mercury chief executive Stew Hamilton said the expansion is part of a $1 billion investment in three renewable generation developments planned by the company.
“These include the Ngā Tamariki expansion, stage two of the Kaiwera Downs wind farm in Southland, and the Kaiwaikawe wind farm in Northland.”
The Ngā Tamariki geothermal station is owned by Mercury. However, the resource has been developed in partnership with Tauhara North 2 Trust and with mana whenua Ngāti Tahu Ngāti Whaoa.
The trust jointly owns the resource consents, receives a revenue stream from the station, and holds options to take an equity stake.
Investigations into geothermal development at Ngā Tamariki date back to 1986, with the power station first commissioned in 2013.
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Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is set to announce the date of this year’s general election.
National MPs are gathering for their first caucus meeting of the year in Christchurch, while Labour MPs will also hold theirs in Auckland.
Saturday, 7 November has been mentioned most frequently as a likely date.
Several pundits are picking the election to be called for after the American mid-terms set for 3 November, which will be a key indicator for how US President Donald Trump’s remaining two years in office will fare.
Luxon will speak to reporters shortly.
You can follow the livestream and our live updates at the top of this page.
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Angela Jackson, Social Policy Commissioner, Productivity Commission, and Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Tasmania
At the start of the new year, many of us will commit to joining a gym, eating healthier or cutting back on drinking and smoking. We do this knowing that investing in our health today will pay off into to the future – that prevention is better (and cheaper) than the cure.
It’s advice the Productivity Commission thinks federal and state governments should also follow to improve Australia’s finances and productivity.
Late last year, my co-authors and I gave the federal government the final report of our inquiry on delivering quality care more efficiently.
We found preventative investments could save taxpayers billions of dollars in health and social care costs. But to achieve these gains, the way we think about investing in prevention needs to change.
Investing in early intervention
Australia’s spending on health and social care is growing as a share of the economy and now makes up five of the top seven fiscal pressures
facing the federal budget. The care sector is also absorbing more of our workforce – close to one-third of new jobs since the pandemic have been in the care sector.
In many respects this reflects changing preferences. As the nation has become wealthier, we care more about our health and wellbeing. But making the most of this spending is one of Australia’s key productivity challenges.
That means investing early to save costs later. Take for example the SunSmart skin cancer awareness campaign, which is estimated to have prevented more than 43,000 skin cancers from 1988 to 2010.
Investments like this save lives and money. We estimate that an investment of A$1.5 billion across all prevention programs over five years could be expected to save governments $2.7 billion over ten years. Factoring in the broader health, social and economic benefits, the total benefits would be about $5.4 billion.
Other countries are ahead of the game: Canada, the UK and Finland spend over twice as much of their health budgets on prevention as Australia.
Australia’s own health prevention strategy recommends that we increase spending on prevention from 2% to 5% of the health budget.
The big picture
Prevention goes beyond just health care. Investments in youth justice, out of home care and homelessness improve outcomes in a range of other areas, improving Australians’ quality of life and governments’ bottom lines.
For example, when people experiencing homelessness get stable housing, they tend to end up in hospital less often, make fewer trips to the emergency department, and in some cases, even avoid incarceration. It’s also easier to look for and hold down a job when you have a stable place to call home.
Such investments can also address systemic inequities in both access and quality of care.
One early childhood education program in outer Melbourne led to improved IQ and language development among socially disadvantaged Australian children, with participants reaching the same level of development as their peers within three years.
Evaluations of similar initiatives in the United States suggest that benefits can persist well into adulthood and even intergenerationally, through improved lifetime education attainment, employment and health, and reduced criminal behaviour.
A whole of government approach
Unfortunately, the way our government is structured can work against these investments. While it’s often one agency or level of government that needs to put up the money for these investments, they only enjoy part of the benefit.
The way governments think about and invest in prevention and early intervention needs to change. The Productivity Commission’s proposed solution is for a National Prevention and Early Intervention Framework to support strategic investments in programs that improve outcomes and reduce demand for future services.
The framework’s consistent approach to assessing interventions would bring all levels of government to the table, so that worthwhile investments no longer fall between the cracks.
It offers a practical way to put into operation the government’s Measuring What Matters framework. By directing funding towards outcomes and tracking progress against them, it would give federal and state governments confidence that they are investing in effective programs.
Like a person struggling with a new year’s resolution, policymakers often find it hard to delay gratification.
But given health and social care spending is only set to grow further, we need to start thinking long term to ensure we can afford to give future generations the standard of care we enjoy today. With a greater focus on prevention and early intervention, we can better care for future generations and put our care sector on a more sustainable path.
Angela Jackson is the Social Policy Commissioner at the Productivity Commission, as well as the chair of the Women in Economics Network. She has previously served on the board of Melbourne Health, which operates Royal Melbourne Hospital.
People queue to enter IKEA on its opening day in Auckland.Marika Khabazi / RNZ
More than half a million people visited Auckland’s Ikea in its first month of business.
Ikea said the Sylvia Park shop was the top-performing in the Ingka Group anywhere in the world for food sales.
The busiest day was Sunday, 7 December, when almost 30,000 people visited.
There were also 1.9 million website users in the first month.
Ikea sold almost 50,000 of its Frakta blue bag, 40,000 white Oftast plates and 29,480 white Oftast bowls.
New Zealand shoppers also bought more than 54,000 hot dogs and more than 21,000 cinnamon buns as well as 28,000 servings of meatballs and mashed potatoes.
University of Auckland marketing expert Shahper Richter said some of the activity was due to the novelty of a new shopping option.
People queue to enter IKEA on its opening day in Auckland.Marika Khabazi / RNZ
“Ikea isn’t a normal retailer, it’s destination shopping. The showroom acts like a decision-aid, the food makes it feel like a cheap outing, and Smaaland [a supervised play area] is a quiet superpower.
“Free childcare reduces the friction for families, which drives longer stays and repeat visits. Crowds will settle from opening-month levels, but I’d expect it to remain a major drawcard because it creates habits, not just hype.”
Retail consultant Chris Wilkinson, from First Retail Group, said it had been the country’s most anticipated retail opening.
“They hit the market at a key time for spending, pre-Christmas, and it benefited from owning every media channel for weeks leading up to and following the opening.
“Now the store has got through the fascination and novelty factor, we’re likely to see the serious shoppers venture in – those who will be looking for inspiration and want the space to enjoy the experience of those curated room spaces and unique products, that the initial frenzy would not have enabled.
“These are the people who tend to spend more, so I would anticipate this will propel the second wave of concentrated activity. This should carry on this year as locals and visitors make a visit part of their leisure itinerary. I say that because a visit there is a purposeful move – it’s not a place you simply pop into – due to its scale, and the intentional need for shoppers to navigate the large store and room settings and likely distractions of the food offer.
“So, I think that the novelty will be sustained for quite some time as they strategically launch new products and consumer chatter through socials continue to keep the brand top of mind.”
Fast-rising artist Ngatainui Ratu, known by his stage name Tawhaki, says his music draws on kōrero passed down by his whānau, exploring themes of identity, pride, and impacts of colonisation.Supplied
Fast-rising Māori roots reggae artist Ngatainui Ratu, known by his stage name TAWHAKI, says his music is about turning inherited trauma into something positive – and encourages rangatahi Māori to believe in a future they may not yet be able to see.
Named Emerging Artist under 25 (Te Tohu Kaipūoro Rangatahi Hou) at the 2025 Māori Music Awards, the 20-year-old is quickly becoming one of the standout voices of new generation of musicians in Aotearoa.
His tracks ‘The Valleys’ and ‘Roaming’ have gone viral across social media, placing him among a growing wave of rangatahi gaining momentum alongside artists such as Te Wehi and Hori Shaw.
While his songs have found a wide audience online, TAWHAKI said their success was never something he anticipated.
“I didn’t expect it to blow up as much as it did,” he told RNZ. “It’s just cool to see our people re-indigenise to who they are in their own way.”
‘The Valleys’, one of his most well-known tracks, began as a song shared quietly with whānau.
“I first sang ‘The Valleys’ at my uncle’s birthday… It was something personal I kept to myself.
“My uncle encouraged me to put it online, and suddenly I was out of my comfort zone, just a boy from the middle of nowhere.”
Much of his songwriting centres on identity, pride, and the ongoing impacts of colonisation. He said those themes were drawn directly from the kōrero passed down through his whānau.
“My nannies and my koros, all they’ve spoken about is how they’ve suffered trauma over the years and over the lifetime they’ve lived,” he said.
“All I’m saying is, how do we turn this trauma into something positive? A positive mindset so we can all work together as one.”
Tawhaki said his early upbringing in kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori has shaped the way he writes and tells stories through his musicSupplied
One of the key messages woven throughout his lyrics is the idea of belief, such as believing in outcomes that may feel out of reach.
In ‘The Valleys’, the lyrics “Koi te mata pūnenga, maiangi te mata pūihoiho” reflect the idea of believing in the unbelievable. he said.
“We need to believe the unbelievable, asking how we reconnect and live alongside the people who colonised our lands.”
TAWHAKI said music was a tool for holding space for stories that were often left unspoken.
“That’s what music’s about at the end of the day – it’s speaking the untold stories that our people have told, but they’re just scared to tell the story.
“And it’s kids like us that have grown up in the society where people torment you and dishonour you… The question is how [do] we flip that story and make it a positive?”
TAWHAKI grew up immersed in te ao Māori and music.
“Tipu ake ahau ki te pā o Waiwhetū, ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara. I reira au i ako ai i ngā wheako o te ao waiata.”
He spent his early years in kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa Māori, and credited his talents to the likes of his whānau. His māmā and his grandparents were also musicians.
“Singing’s just been a part of my life since the day I came out of my mum’s womb.”
TAWHAKI was also raised within kapa haka, which he said helped shape both his voice and worldview.
“Tipu ake ahau ki roto ki ngā mahi kapa haka. Koira tōku ao, ko te ao ō te waiata.”
Growing up Māori-medium education, TAWHAKI said using te reo Māori in his music came with a sense of responsibility to future generations.
“I hope people take something from my music and write it into their own scriptures. It’s up to us to create pathways for the next generation so they don’t have to live the way we live today.”
In the current political climate, TAWHAKI believed it was important for Māori storytelling to be future-focused.
“It’s up to us to become the ancestors of tomorrow. I don’t care about narratives. I care about the future.”
Tawhaki says his mother and grandparents are the foundation of his whare.Supplied
Winning Te Tohu Kaipūoro Rangatahi Hou, TAWHAKI said, was a collective achievement.
“It’s beyond words, but it’s not just my achievement,” he said. “It’s not a one man’s band. It takes a whole village and a whole pā to raise a child.”
His strongest support system remained close to home.
“My mum and my grandparents, they’re the foundation of my whare,” he said.
“Ko rātou tōku poukaiawha, tōku pou tuarongo, tōku pou matua o tōku whare. They’ve enabled me to build my whare by myself, with their support.”
As his audience continued to grow, TAWHAKI said he had become increasingly aware of the responsibility that came with visibility.
“I come from a family where all I see is red, just like some people see blue,” he said.
“It’s cool to interact with people around the world that see many colours, and we’re all the same at the end of the day.”
He said seeing people from all walks of life come together through waiata was his “drive to keep going”.
“Not just for my family, but for families who suffer like mine did.”
Tawhaki said his aspiration is to be a positive role model for others, particularly for his tamariki.Supplied
At just 20 years old, he was also a father to two young daughters.
“I’ve got two beautiful kids, and this is for them,” he said. “I want to show that stepping away from that life is actually cool.
“Turn left down a pathway you don’t know, one day it will give you more than the life you were shown.”
With tour dates planned across the country and growing interest in his music, TAWHAKI said he was content to let the future unfold.
“I just jumped on the waka,” he said. “Whatever the future has for me, it has for me.”
For rangatahi Māori hoping to follow a similar path, his advice was to “just be yourself”.
“Koira te uho o tō ake manawa.” [Being yourself], that is your core. There’s nothing better than being yourself. Being yourself is the pinnacle of your world.”
US president Donald Trump says he felt “horribly” about the shooting of mother of three Renee Good and hopes her father still supports him.
Good, a 37-year-old US citizen, was killed when an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent shot into her vehicle Minneapolis in early January.
She was was hit at point blank range as she apparently tried to drive away from agents who were crowding around her car, which they said was blocking their way.
The Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, surged law enforcement up to about 2000 officers in the area by January, during an immigration crackdown it named ‘Operation Metro Surge’.
“And you know they’re going to make mistakes sometimes, Trump said.
“ICE is going to be too rough with somebody or you know – they’re dealing with rough people. They’re going to make a mistake sometimes, it can happen.
“I felt horribly when I was told that the young woman who was – had the tragedy, it’s a tragedy, it’s a horrible thing.
“Everybody would say ..ICE would say the same thing.
“But when I learned her her parents – an her father in particular is like, I hope he still is, but I don’t know – was a tremendous Trump fan.
“He was all for Trump, loved Trump. And uh … it’s terrible. I was told that by a lot of people, they said, oh he loves you … I hope he still feels that way, I don’t know – it’s a hard, hard situation.”
Official safety information from the National Emergency Management Agency for flooding urges people to put safety first, don’t take any chances and act quickly if they see rising water.
Floods and flash floods can happen quickly. If you see rising water do not wait for official warnings. Head for higher ground and stay away from floodwater.
Stay out of flood water
Never try to walk, swim or drive through flood water. Many flood fatalities are caused by people attempting to drive through water.
Always assume that flood water is contaminated with farm run-off, chemicals and sewage. Contaminated flood water can make you sick. Make sure you wash your hands, clothes and property after contact with flood waters.
If flooding is possible
Stay informed in an emergency. Listen to the radio or follow your Civil Defence Emergency Management Group online.
Be prepared to evacuate and keep your grab bag near. Listen to emergency services and local Civil Defence authorities. Follow any instructions about evacuation of your area. Self-evacuate if you feel unsafe.
Move pets to a safe place and move stock to higher ground. If you have to leave, take your pets with you. If it’s not safe for you, it’s not safe for them.
Turn off water, electricity and gas if advised to.
Flooding began on 18 January, 2026, in Northland, including in Ōakura, after the first band of intense rain.Screengrab from video – supplied
Move valuable and dangerous items as high above the floor as possible. This includes electrical equipment and chemicals. Use watertight containers to store important items.
Lift curtains, rugs and bedding off the floor.
Check on your neighbours and anyone who may need your help.
What to do after a flood
Only return home after Civil Defence and emergency services have told you it is safe to do so. It may not be safe to return home even when the floodwaters have receded.
Stay away from damaged areas. You might hamper rescue and other emergency operations and be at further risk from the residual effects of floods.
Look before you step. After a flood, the ground and floors may be slippery or covered with debris, including broken bottles and nails.
Help others if you can, especially people who may need extra help.
If your property is damaged
Do not do anything that puts your safety at risk or causes more damage to your property
Contact your insurance company as soon as possible
If you rent your property, contact your landlord and your contents insurance company
Take photos of any damage. It will help speed up assessments of your claims
Food safety after a flood
Throw away food and drinking water that has come into contact with floodwater, including canned goods.
Avoid drinking or preparing food with tap water until you are certain it is not contaminated. Follow any boil water notice instructions from your local authorities.
For more information on food safety during and after an emergency visit the Ministry for Primary Industries website.
Cleaning up after a flood
Clean and dry your house and everything in it. Floodwater can make the air in your home unhealthy. When things get wet for more than two days they usually get mouldy. There may also be germs and bugs in your home after a flood.
Mould may make some people with asthma, allergies or other breathing problems sick.
Talk to your doctor or another medical professional if you have questions about cleaning or working in a home that has been flooded. If there is a large amount of mould, you may want to hire professional help to clean up the mould.
Protect yourself by wearing:
a certified respirator
goggles
gloves
protective clothing that covers your arms and legs, and sturdy footwear
Throw away anything that was wet with flood water and can’t be cleaned.
Throw away any wooden spoons, plastic utensils, and baby bottle teats and dummies if they have been covered by floodwater. There is no way to safely clean them.
Disinfect metal pans and utensils by boiling them in clean water.
Information from NEMA’s Get Ready website – [ https://getready.govt.nz/ getready.govt.nz ]
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
