Category: Covid 19

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NZ-AU: CLINUVEL: advancing peptides for photomedicine and vitiligo care at AAD 2026

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-NZ-AU)

MELBOURNE, Australia, April 15, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CLINUVEL’s innovative photomedicine and vitiligo programs featured extensively at the recent American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) Annual Meeting, the world’s largest gathering of dermatology professionals. Through the Company’s bespoke Pavilion of Photomedicine and conference sessions across five days, the development and commercialisation of CLINUVEL’s proprietary peptides in dermatology was presented to over 20,000 delegates.

Building on momentum from the 2025 AAD meeting, AAD 2026 saw CLINUVEL’s ambition translate into deeper engagement with the medical community, with the Pavilion now an established hub for meaningful scientific exchange and candid dialogues. The CLINUVEL team welcomed thousands of visitors, including many returning physicians eager to review the progress of the Company’s clinical programs.

New insights in vitiligo therapy

The 2026 meeting reflected a maturing dialogue regarding the standard of care and potential of new therapies for patients with vitiligo. While the recent focus in the field has been on immune-suppressing JAK inhibitors, clinicians are increasingly identifying the practical challenges of long-term treatment dependency and the prevalence of relapse upon cessation of treatment. This shift in treatment discourse highlights an increasing demand for therapies that prioritise sustained stability and patient safety over the long term.

CLINUVEL’s investigational approach offers a fundamentally different path. The Company’s ongoing Phase III vitiligo study (CUV105) is evaluating afamelanotide as a systemic therapy with adjunct narrowband ultraviolet B (NB-UVB) phototherapy to stimulate repigmentation and stabilise the disease, rather than suppressing the body’s immune system. Afamelanotide, a linear peptide administered in a controlled-release injectable implant, is not currently approved for vitiligo anywhere in the world.

At the Global Vitiligo Foundation (GVF) Annual Symposium, Professor Antoine Bertolotti (University Hospital of La Réunion) presented patient case studies from CUV105, reporting repigmentation following 20 weeks of afamelanotide with adjunct NB-UVB. Crucially, the data showed that patients with darker skin types (Fitzpatrick skin types IV–VI) maintained their pigmentation up to the six month follow-up visit subsequent to withdrawal of therapy. Notably, even patients with active disease (i.e. where the condition is actively spreading) showed a response to therapy in these clinical cases.

Holistic patient care

While CLINUVEL’s primary clinical focus remains its rigorous path toward regulatory approval in vitiligo, the Company’s work at the Pavilion highlighted a holistic philosophy that extends beyond the clinic. Unlike standard models, CLINUVEL takes a long-term view of patient care by creating dedicated spaces for patients to share their experiences and advocate for improvements in clinical trial diversity and mental health support.

The three-day speaker program emphasised this commitment, featuring patients, physicians, and even healthcare partners coming together to exchange insights on topics ranging from fostering inclusivity when engaging with patient communities, to the regulatory and cultural differences in managing vitiligo in different parts of the world.

Technology and digital impact: creating a global buzz

The innovations showcased in Denver extended into the digital sphere, creating significant engagement across social media. CLINUVEL’s outreach efforts reached over 314,000 unique users, with daily wrap-up content generating thousands of interactions. This digital buzz mirrors the energy at the Pavilion, where the Company introduced its proprietary Vitiligo Visual Algorithm (VVA) – an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tool designed to objectively assess pigmentation using standardised clinical photographs, tracking an individual patient’s treatment progress over time. This tool is now being refined with the assistance of physicians, patients and researchers.

Social media highlights

  • @dermdsaid featured a walk-through of the Pavilion, highlighting CLINUVEL’s vitiligo program
  • @dr.kyla.md featured the Pavilion’s distinctive façade in a playful commentary on AAD’s unmissable exhibition spaces
  • @glow_and_happy’s reel heavily features CLINUVEL’s Pavilion of Photomedicine

Watch a wrap-up video of CLINUVEL’s time at AAD 2026.

Commentary

“Returning to the AAD for a second year has allowed us to witness a significant maturation in the clinical dialogue surrounding vitiligo,” said Dr Linda Teng, CLINUVEL’s Director of North American Operations. “Our engagement in Denver confirms a growing recognition among the medical community that the next frontier in vitiligo care must prioritise long-term physiological stability and safety beyond immune-suppression.

“The overwhelming response to the Pavilion this year validates our longstanding focus on melanocortin peptides and reinforces our mission to advance clinical programs that truly reflect the life-long needs of the patients we serve.”

About CLINUVEL PHARMACEUTICALS LIMITED

CLINUVEL (ASX: CUV; ADR LEVEL 1: CLVLY; Börse Frankfurt: UR9) is a global specialty pharmaceutical group focused on developing and commercialising treatments for patients with genetic, metabolic, systemic, and life-threatening, acute disorders, as well as healthcare solutions for specialised populations. As pioneers in photomedicine and the family of melanocortin peptides, CLINUVEL’s research and development has led to innovative treatments for patient populations with a clinical need for systemic photoprotection, assisted DNA repair, repigmentation and acute or life-threatening conditions who lack alternatives.

CLINUVEL’s lead therapy, SCENESSE® (afamelanotide 16mg), is approved for commercial distribution in Europe, the USA, Israel, and Australia as the world’s first systemic photoprotective drug for the prevention of phototoxicity (anaphylactoid reactions and burns) in adult patients with erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP). Headquartered in Melbourne, Australia, CLINUVEL has operations in Europe, Singapore, and the USA. For more information, please go to https://www.clinuvel.com.

Head of Investor Relations
Mr Malcolm Bull, CLINUVEL PHARMACEUTICALS LTD

Investor Enquiries
https://www.clinuvel.com/investors/contact-us

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements, which reflect the current beliefs and expectations of CLINUVEL’s management. Statements may involve a number of known and unknown risks that could cause our future results, performance, or achievements to differ significantly from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to: our ability to develop and commercialise pharmaceutical products; the COVID-19 pandemic and/or other world, regional or national events affecting the supply chain for a protracted period of time, including our ability to develop, manufacture, market and sell biopharmaceutical products; competition for our products, especially SCENESSE® (afamelanotide 16mg), PRÉNUMBRA® or NEURACTHEL®; our ability to achieve expected safety and efficacy results in a timely manner through our innovative R&D efforts; the effectiveness of our patents and other protections for innovative products, particularly in view of national and regional variations in patent laws; our potential exposure to product liability claims to the extent not covered by insurance; increased government scrutiny in either Australia, the U.S., Europe, Israel, China and Japan of our agreements with third parties and suppliers; our exposure to currency fluctuations and restrictions as well as credit risks; the effects of reforms in healthcare regulation and pharmaceutical pricing and reimbursement; that the Company may incur unexpected delays in the outsourced manufacturing of SCENESSE®, PRÉNUMBRA® or NEURACTHEL® which may lead to it being unable to supply its commercial markets and/or clinical trial programs; any failures to comply with any government payment system (i.e. Medicare) reporting and payment obligations; uncertainties surrounding the legislative and regulatory pathways for the registration and approval of biotechnology and consumer based products; decisions by regulatory authorities regarding approval of our products as well as their decisions regarding label claims; our ability to retain or attract key personnel and managerial talent; the impact of broader change within the pharmaceutical industry and related industries; potential changes to tax liabilities or legislation; environmental risks; and other factors that have been discussed in our 2023 Annual Report. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation, outside of those required under applicable laws or relevant listing rules of the Australian Securities Exchange, to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. More information on preliminary and uncertain forecasts and estimates is available on request, whereby it is stated that past performance is not an indicator of future performance.

Contact:

Tel: +61 3 9660 4900
Fax: +61 3 9660 4909
Email: mail@clinuvel.com
Australia (Head Office), Level 22, 535 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia

Photos accompanying this announcement are available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a63efa41-50f1-45f2-8ee5-0d54842edcaa

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/33cac11d-7021-45d7-a334-97b2ac9fa4a6

A video accompanying this announcement is available at:

https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3d0e4a67-5fc2-46d0-95b7-b34582a13539

– Published by The MIL Network

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/04/15/nz-au-clinuvel-advancing-peptides-for-photomedicine-and-vitiligo-care-at-aad-2026/

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Waikato community rallies to gift new home to healthcare worker after house fire

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Waikato community is coming together to support long-serving healthcare worker Billie Gillet-Kati, whose home was destroyed in a 2021 fire. Supplied / Te Kōhao Health / Tetoa Benioni

A Waikato community is rallying behind a Māori health worker who lost her home in a fire, with whānau, businesses and volunteers coming together to help deliver her a new whare.

Te Kōhao Health is gifting a repurposed house to long-serving kaimahi Billie Gillet-Kati, relocating it to her whenua in Waharoa in the coming weeks.

Managing director and health leader Lady Tureiti Moxon said the community effort reflected kaupapa Māori values in action.

“Supporting Billie in this practical way recognises her mana and reinforces the kaupapa Māori values that underpin all that she does,” she said.

“From clearing the property to moving and restoring the house, and the generosity of businesses and whānau, this is a story of aroha in action.

“It demonstrates the strength of community and the importance of recognising those who give everything for the wellbeing of others.”

Billie Gillet-Kati, who has worked for decades as a navigator with Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, says she has been humbled by the support and is looking forward to having a stable home for her whānau. Supplied / Te Kōhao Health

Gillet-Kati has spent decades working alongside whānau as a navigator for Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency, including during the Covid-19 pandemic where she continued frontline mahi despite being considered medically vulnerable.

Her home was destroyed in a fire in January 2021.

At the time, she had been living in Matamata while renovating the Waharoa property. Her insurance policy required notification if she was away from the home for more than 90 days – something she said she was unaware of during lockdown restrictions.

She later declined the insurance payout due to the high costs associated with asbestos removal and cleaning.

In the years since, members of the local community have helped with recovery efforts, including clearing the damaged property.

Gillet-Kati said she was humbled by the tautoko (support) she had received.

“I feel surrounded by the prayers and awhi of my whānau and my Te Kōhao whānau,” she said.

“This home gives my family stability and a base to continue our mahi in the community.”

Te Kōhao Health is relocating and rebuilding the home for long-serving kaimahi Billie Gillet-Kati on her whenua in Waharoa. Supplied / Te Kōhao Health / Tetoa Benioni

A whare identified by Te Kōhao Health in Enderley will now be relocated about 45 minutes to her whenua, with contractors and volunteers working together to divide, transport and reassemble it.

Local businesses have also stepped in, contributing materials, labour and expertise to make the whare liveable.

Additional volunteers are helping with carpentry, painting, gardening and finishing work, with support continuing through each stage of the rebuild.

Gillet-Kati said she was humbled by the collective effort.

“I feel surrounded by the prayers and awhi of my whānau and my Te Kōhao whānau,” she said.

“This home gives my family stability and a base to continue our mahi in the community.”

She acknowledged the many people who had contributed to the project.

” I also want to acknowledge Margaret and Terry Troughton, Hayden Parker, Toby Flooring, BCD Engineering, and Watts Electrical. Their generosity and help have made all the difference.”

The effort has brought together local contractors, volunteers, whānau and businesses, who have contributed time, materials and expertise to prepare the whare for her return. Supplied / Te Kōhao Health

Moxon said the decision was made by the board to recognise the contributions of kaimahi who “quietly give everything” to serve their communities.

“Billie is one of those people. She has dedicated her life to others, and this is a way for us to give back with manaakitanga and aroha.”

Moxon said the goal was to ensure Gillet-Kati could return to her whenua.

“This is about restoring Billie’s ability to live on her own whenua so she can continue there as ahi kā.”

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/04/15/waikato-community-rallies-to-gift-new-home-to-healthcare-worker-after-house-fire/

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Economy – OCR on hold at 2.25% – Reserve Bank

Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

8 April 2026 – The Monetary Policy Committee today agreed to hold the OCR at 2.25 percent. Since the February Monetary Policy Statement, events in the Middle East have materially altered the outlook and the balance of risks for inflation and economic growth in New Zealand. In the near term, inflation is expected to increase and the economic recovery to weaken. The Committee is vigilant to any generalised inflationary pressure and stands ready to act to return inflation to its medium-term target.  

The Middle East conflict has disrupted global supply chains, leading to significantly higher prices for oil and refined petroleum products. As a result, near-term inflation is increasing and economic growth is weakening in many countries. Global financial markets have been volatile and market interest rates have increased.

In New Zealand, the extent of the near-term increase in headline inflation will depend on how the conflict in the Middle East evolves and the magnitude and duration of the disruption to global supply chains and energy markets.

Medium-term inflationary pressure will depend on the extent to which higher costs influence price- and wage-setting behaviour by firms and workers in the economy. If medium-term inflation expectations increase, then inflation is likely to become more persistent. However, weak demand and spare productive capacity in the economy should constrain the degree to which higher costs can be passed on.

The current economic situation is different to 2022 when COVID-19 and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted global supply chains and increased energy prices. Back then, demand was growing strongly, adding to inflation pressure.

The Committee’s decision to hold the OCR balances the potential benefits of responding pre-emptively to the risk of higher medium-term inflation against the cost of unnecessarily stifling the economic recovery.

The Monetary Policy Committee is focused on ensuring that inflation returns to the 2-percent target midpoint over the medium term. This requires core inflation and wage growth to remain contained and medium- and long-term inflation expectations to remain around 2 percent. If these conditions are not met, decisive and timely increases in the OCR would be required.

Read the full statement and Record of meeting: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=922ab96a14&e=f3c68946f8

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/04/08/economy-ocr-on-hold-at-2-25-reserve-bank/

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Health – Lung and heart patients face higher risks as flu season begins

Source: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation

People living with long-term lung and heart conditions are being urged to ensure their vaccinations are up to date ahead of the cooler months.
With autumn beginning and a recent wave of COVID-19, respiratory viruses are already circulating in the community. For people with conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, or cardiovascular disease, these infections can lead to much more serious illness.
Ms Letitia Harding, Chief Executive of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ and Kia Manawanui Trust – The Heart of Aotearoa, says the recent COVID-19 wave is a reminder that respiratory viruses continue to pose a significant risk for people already living with lung and heart disease.
“Every winter brings increased circulation of respiratory viruses, and for people living with chronic conditions, the consequences can be much more serious.
“An infection that might be mild for someone else can quickly become dangerous for someone whose lungs or heart are already under strain.”
Ensuring vaccinations are up to date as we settle into the cooler months is one of the simplest and most effective ways people can protect themselves, Ms Harding says.
“Being prepared before the winter respiratory season begins can make a real difference in preventing severe illness and keeping people out of hospital.”
Late last year, the Foundation called for the reinstatement of the FluTracking programme ahead of the coming winter to help strengthen monitoring of respiratory illness in the community.
FluTracking has been an essential community surveillance tool since 2018, helping track influenza, COVID-19, RSV, and other respiratory illnesses nationwide.
Foundation Medical Director and respiratory physician Professor Bob Hancox says surveillance of respiratory infections is important for giving us advance warning of outbreaks and preparing health services.
“The FluTracking programme gave us real-time information about influenza-like illnesses in the community and will be badly missed this winter.”
In addition to tracking, vaccinations play an important role in reducing the impact of respiratory illness each year, Professor Hancox says.
“People with chronic respiratory diseases are more vulnerable to complications from infections such as influenza, COVID-19 and RSV.
“Vaccination reduces the risk of severe disease, hospitalisation, and exacerbations of underlying lung conditions.”
Trust Medical Director and cardiologist Dr Sarah Fairley says respiratory infections can also place significant strain on the heart, particularly for people already living with cardiovascular disease.
“When someone with an existing heart condition gets a respiratory infection, the body is under much greater stress.
“Fever, inflammation and reduced oxygen levels mean the heart has to work harder, which can increase the risk of complications such as heart failure or other cardiac events,” she says.
“Vaccination is one of the most effective ways people with heart conditions can reduce their risk of serious illness during the winter respiratory season.”
People living with respiratory or cardiac conditions are encouraged to speak with their healthcare provider about recommended vaccinations ahead of winter.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/04/01/health-lung-and-heart-patients-face-higher-risks-as-flu-season-begins/

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Property Market – From boom to balance: NZ’s housing market six years on from lockdown – QV

Source: Quality Valuation (QV)

Six years on from the March 2020 lockdown, the story of New Zealand’s housing market has come full circle – from boom and gloom to a far more balanced and nuanced chapter today.

Our latest QV House Price Index, out now, shows national home values are now 21.6% higher than they were six years ago. However, growth has slowed significantly, with values reducing by just 0.4% over the past year, including a reduction of 0.1% over the three months to the end of March 2026.

On the six-year anniversary of NZ’s first lockdown, QV spokesperson Simon Petersen said the urgency that defined the market through 2020 and 2021 has long gone, replaced by much more cautious and measured decision-making these days.

“The past six years have really been a story of two extremes – incredibly rapid, unsustainable growth, followed by a sharp correction, and then a gradual return to normal,” he said.

“It’s now a much more stable and balanced housing market that’s behaving more like it used to, back before Covid-19. There’s less urgency, more negotiation, and a stronger focus on fundamentals like affordability and supply.

“The frenzy we saw through 2020 and 2021 may be long gone now, but values are still sitting above where they were before the pandemic for the most part, without adjusting for inflation.”

Across the main centres, Auckland’s average home value is still 9.6% higher than it was six years ago, despite modest declines of 3.8% in the past 12 months and 0.6% this quarter.

Christchurch continues to stand out, with the average home value now 55% above its March 2020 level. The city largely avoided the sharpest part of the downturn and has recorded modest growth of 3.1% over the past 12 months and 0.9% this quarter.

In contrast, Wellington’s average home value is now 0.2% less than it was at the end of March 2020. It has reduced by 5% in the past 12 months and by 0.8% this quarter.
 
“The higher-priced markets felt the boom and the correction more sharply,” Mr Petersen said. “But no part of the country was untouched. Regional and lifestyle areas also saw strong gains as buyers looked for more space and flexibility during the lockdown period.”

“While values remain higher than pre-pandemic levels, those gains are significantly smaller once inflation is taken into account,” he added.

Now, in 2026, the market looks markedly different from both the highs of 2020 and 2021 and the lows that followed. Growth has stabilised, activity levels are closer to longer-term averages, and differences between regions are being driven more by local conditions than a single national trend.

In practical terms, Mr Petersen said buyers are taking their time, vendors have adjusted their expectations to meet the market for the most part, and price movements are now much more modest as a result.

“The housing market of 2026 seems to be defined more by caution rather than urgency,” Mr Petersen said. “Buyers are more considered, vendors are more realistic, and overall activity is tracking closer to longer-term norms. Everything is more or less in balance right now.

“After several years of volatility, a more predictable housing market gives both buyers and sellers greater confidence and it reduces the risk of another sharp correction – even with ongoing global uncertainty still present,” Mr Petersen concluded.
Download a high resolution version of the latest QV value map here.
We’re trying something new with the timing of this month’s QV House Price Index. Please let us know if you have any feedback or suggestions.

Our regular nationwide report featuring the latest QV House Price Index figures will be available online at QV.co.nz on the morning of Thursday, 9 April 2026.

The QV HPI uses a rolling three month collection of sales data, based on sales agreement date. This has always been the case and ensures a large sample of sales data is used to measure value change over time. Having agent and non-agent sales included in the index provides a comprehensive measure of property value change over the longer term.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/31/property-market-from-boom-to-balance-nzs-housing-market-six-years-on-from-lockdown-qv/

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QV – Fuel spike begins to bite as construction costs hold steady

Source: Quality Valuation (QV)

Construction cost increases remain mostly modest, but a sharp rise in fuel prices is causing upward pressure in the short term.

CostBuilder is New Zealand’s most comprehensive online subscription-based building cost platform. In its latest monthly update, more than 11,000 current material prices were applied to its extensive database of construction rates across Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin.

The update shows overall cost escalation remains relatively contained, with elemental and trade rates both increasing by an average of 0.4% in a month.

However, rapidly rising diesel prices have begun to flow through into construction costs, particularly in fuel-intensive areas of work.

At a trade level, excavation recorded the most significant increase, rising 7.8%, while piling (1.4%) and demolition (1.3%) also increased – largely due to the recent surge in diesel prices.

Site preparation and substructure costs also increased by 2% and 1.8% respectively due to rising diesel rates, with exterior works up 1% in a month.

QV CostBuilder spokesperson and experienced quantity surveyor Martin Bisset said fuel was the key cost driver currently.

“The increase in the price of diesel has had an immediate impact on areas such as site preparation, excavation and substructure work, where fuel is a significant input for machinery used in these operations. That’s where the most upward pressure on construction costs is coming from right now.”

The rise in fuel costs comes amid increasing global oil prices linked to conflict in the Middle East, which is also affecting supply routes and lifting freight and energy costs internationally.

Mr Bisset said that while the recent fuel spike was significant, its full impact on overall building costs was not yet clear.

“New Zealand is particularly exposed to changes in fuel and shipping costs, so recent geopolitical events in the Middle East are relevant for the local construction sector, and they will inevitably have an effect,” he said.

“At this stage, we can see the effect at a trade and elemental level, but the impact on total building costs per square metre hasn’t yet been captured. We expect to have a clearer picture of that in our next CostBuilder update.”

In the meantime, he said the current environment differs from the sharp and sustained cost escalation experienced during the Covid-19 period.

“We’re not seeing the widespread supply chain disruption of recent years, but fuel and freight are certainly re-emerging as important cost drivers.”

“It’s important to recognise that this appears to be a short-term spike at this stage. At some point, fuel prices are expected to normalise, and that should ease some of the pressure coming through.”

More broadly, construction cost movements remain mixed. The latest update also recorded increases in materials such as plasterboard, insulation and some timber products, while some copper and steel pipework declined in price.

Mr Bisset said the market remained relatively balanced overall, but with a higher degree of uncertainty.

“The key takeaway is that cost growth is still relatively moderate, but volatility has increased,” he concluded.

Visit QV CostBuilder at costbuilder.qv.co.nz.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/30/qv-fuel-spike-begins-to-bite-as-construction-costs-hold-steady/

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Government calls for regulatory feedback to boost fuel resilience

Source: New Zealand Government

Regulation Minister David Seymour is urging businesses, fuel users, freight operators, and the wider public to report any regulatory barriers that might be hindering our response to global fuel uncertainty. 

Submissions should be made to the Ministry for Regulation’s Red Tape Tipline (the Tipline). Submissions can be made here.

“New Zealand’s fuel supply is stable. We’re focussed on keeping it that way. This Government has responded well to the potential of conflict in the Middle East leading to shortages,” Mr Seymour says. 

“We can’t control what happens in the Middle East. We can control how we get fuel flowing through New Zealand pumps. If red tape is getting in the way of that goal, we want to hear it.” 

Earlier this week the Government set out updates to the National Fuel Plan to make sure New Zealand is prepared if international disruption puts pressure on fuel supply. 

“The Government’s first responsibility is to keep the economy moving and ensure essential services, freight, and families aren’t disrupted any more than necessary,” Mr Seymour says. 

“While the Government’s response has been strong, we don’t want a repeat of the Covid-19 lockdowns, and we don’t want to miss something which could lead to negative effects down the line. That’s why we want to hear from people affected by edicts from Wellington; what regulatory barriers do you see getting in the way of fuel supply?

“This Government listens to the people in tough times. Taiwan took a similar approach during the COVID outbreak. Through public feedback they were able to develop tools that improved their response. 

“In a disruption every unnecessary delay matters. If there are regulations that make it harder to import, store, distribute, or use fuel efficiently, they need to be identified now. Not when the pressure is at its peak.

“Examples of things which people might submit to the Tipline are regulations that could be reviewed, suspended, simplified, or better coordinated to support New Zealand’s fuel resilience. This could include barriers affecting fuel transport, storage, distribution, local delivery, freight movements, business operations, or the ability of firms to adapt quickly to changing supply conditions. 

“Not all issues identified will fall within the scope of regulation. Where submissions are non-regulatory they will be referred to the appropriate authority or organisation best placed to address them.

“The Tipline has already fixed many things that matter to Kiwis. It’s fixed dumb rules to allow Kiwis to build sheds on their property, allow home based baking businesses to get on with business, and got rid of draconian rules preventing medical conferences taking place in New Zealand. 

“We are particularly interested in hearing from businesses on the front line. Fuel companies, freight operators, contractors, primary producers, retailers, and others whose day-to-day experience tells them where the bottlenecks are.”

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/29/government-calls-for-regulatory-feedback-to-boost-fuel-resilience/

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Speech to Project Auckland

Source: New Zealand Government

Check against delivery

Kia ora, and thank you so much for inviting me here today. It is great to be with you all.

Can I start by thanking Fran O’Sullivan for her hard work in organising and supporting this annual event, and also NZME and the NZ Herald for sponsoring the event as always.

I would also like to acknowledge our Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, Councillor Richard Hills, and Councillor Andy Baker.

I also wish to acknowledge the opposition spokesperson for Auckland and Shanan Halbert. Lovely to see you here today.

And I want to acknowledge everyone in this room for the role you play in leading our great city. We are proud to be Aucklanders. We are proud of all this city has to offer, and we are all committed to making it a better place. That shared commitment mirrors our Government’s focus on fixing the basics and building the future of Auckland.

Conflict in Iran

Before I speak about the Government’s priorities, I want to acknowledge the global context we are all operating in. Everything has changed in the past four weeks with the conflict in Iran.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow stretch of water between Iran and Oman, carries around 20 percent of the world’s daily oil supply, and the conflict in Iran is leading to significant disruption in global oil markets. Kiwis are feeling that right now at the pump.

Our Government is responding quickly and decisively with two key priorities. First, ensuring New Zealand has continued access to fuel supplies. Second, providing targeted support to those who need it most.

As Finance Minister Nicola Willis has confirmed, we continue to have a stable fuel supply, with combined jet, petrol and diesel stocks equating to around 48.6 days of cover nationwide, meaning there is no need for immediate concern. But we are taking every action we can to shore up our position.

We have aligned our fuel standards with Australia to ensure we have access to more markets to purchase fuel products from. We are working with Australia and other nations to secure the supplies we need. And the Minister of Finance has today announced our Fuel Response Plan, which sets out clearly how we will act if we begin to face disruption in our supply chains.

There are four phases to this plan, of which we have already announced phases one and two in detail. For phases three and four, we will consult closely with industry and sector groups, as these phases would require additional restrictions. As the Minister of Finance has made clear, though, success means not having to move to phases three or four. Our focus remains on our priority: ensuring a secure fuel supply for New Zealanders.

Alongside this, we have announced targeted support for working families. We cannot control global oil markets or international conflicts, but we can soften the impact on working families who cannot easily avoid higher fuel costs. From 7 April, around 143,000 working families with children will receive an extra fifty dollars a week through a boost to the in-work tax credit. That targeted increase will be temporary, lasting for one year or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below three dollars a litre for four consecutive weeks.

That is what responsible, temporary and targeted relief looks like.

Improvements in Auckland under National

Turning now to Auckland. While what is happening internationally will continue to occupy our attention, today is also an opportunity to take stock of the real progress this city has made over the past two years.

When National came into office, Auckland had been through an extraordinarily difficult stretch. The COVID-19 lockdowns had closed this city repeatedly, as the Royal Commission found, and we now know they went longer than the public health advice supported. The economic toll of those decisions fell hardest here. Businesses that had fought to survive were then hit by inflation peaking at over seven percent, mortgage repayments that had doubled for some families, and a cost-of-living squeeze felt right across the city. And if that was not enough, there were the ram raids. Retailers were boarding up their shopfronts, and a city that had, for a time, lost its footing.

That was the Auckland we inherited. And it is why the work of the past two years has been so focused on getting back to basics: restoring economic stability, restoring law and order, and restoring confidence in our public services.

And we have delivered:

We abolished the 11.5 cents per litre Auckland Regional Fuel Tax, putting money back in the pockets of Auckland households and businesses.
Our water reforms are saving Aucklanders hundreds of dollars on their water bills.
We have made meaningful Auckland governance changes to restore democratic decision-making.
We are progressing time-of-use schemes to improve flow across our motorways.
We’re negotiating a regional deal that gives Auckland a genuine partnership with central government.

The results speak for themselves. The NZIER Business Confidence survey shows the strongest equal result since 1994. The Consumer Sentiment Index has risen to 107, reflecting more optimism than pessimism for the first time in several years. Building activity is up, with a 13 percent increase in new dwellings consented in the year to January. Interest rates have come down meaningfully, which is real relief for homeowners and businesses alike. And the International Convention Centre is now open, already hosting 120 events over the year and generating international visitor spend that flows through the whole Auckland economy.

These are not small things. They are the product of a clear plan focused on fixing the basics and building the future.

Opportunities We Must Seize

With that foundation in place, the question now is: what do we do with it? Because Auckland’s best days are not behind us, they are ahead of us, and there are real opportunities in front of us that we must seize together.

The City Rail Link will open this year. It is the largest infrastructure project in New Zealand’s history, started under a National Government and delivered by a National Government. When it opens, it will transform how people move around Auckland, cut travel times, and unlock development opportunities along the rail corridor. But we need to make sure we capture the full benefit. That means using the planning tools available to us to ensure housing growth happens around the stations, with density in the right places and of the right kind. A rail network only delivers its full potential when the city grows intelligently around it, and we are working to make sure our planning settings support exactly that.

On transport more broadly, the CRL is just the beginning. We are progressing the next generation of projects that will define Auckland’s connectivity for decades to come: Mill Road, Northwestern Rapid Transit, and completing the Eastern Busway. 

On safety, the progress in our city centre has been real and measurable. Through our Housing First initiative, 188 people have been placed into housing by March, up from just 33 when the plan was announced in November. Crime victimisations have fallen from 1,010 in January 2024 to 638 in December 2025. A new Police Station in the CBD and officers increasingly on the beat are making a tangible difference. New move-on powers for Police will give them an important additional tool to address the antisocial behaviour that drives people away from our city centre. Our approach balances support with accountability: helping those who need housing and mental health services, while taking firm action against behaviour that makes people feel unsafe.

On health, waiting times skyrocketed following Labour’s decisions to remove the previous National Government’s health targets, and Health New Zealand was left managing $28 billion on a single Excel spreadsheet following the decisions to restructure our healthcare system in the middle of a pandemic. National has brought back the health targets, and we are seeing encouraging improvements across the board, with Kiwis spending less time in emergency departments, more children being fully immunised by the age of 24 months, and waitlists for elective surgeries and first specialist assessments coming down. 

There is still more work to do, however, our focus on fixing the basics is delivering results.

As part of this continued focus, today I am pleased to announce that Health New Zealand is issuing a Request for Proposal to identified landowners for land in Drury, to support the development of a future South Auckland hospital. This is the next concrete step towards a major new hospital health precinct for one of the fastest-growing parts of this country, and it is a step that has been a long time coming. South Auckland carries some of the highest health burdens in New Zealand, with elevated rates of infectious disease, diabetes, cardiovascular and chronic respiratory conditions, and a population projected to grow by hundreds of thousands by 2050. Drury is the right location. It sits alongside our Roads of Regional Significance and planned public transport infrastructure, meaning patients, staff and visitors can actually get there. Securing the right site now means Health New Zealand can plan with confidence, and future investment goes to the right place, at the right scale.

Conclusion

When I look at the full picture, Auckland has real momentum behind it. Inflation is down. Interest rates are down. Business confidence is up. Crime is down. We are delivering in health and in education. The Convention Centre is open and the City Rail Link is coming. These are the results of a clear plan that is working, and we need to stick to it.

We also need to work in genuine partnership with Auckland Council to deliver on these objectives. We have devolved decision-making to the Council in a number of areas, and that makes sense. But this is not an Auckland versus Wellington thing. The majority of Cabinet Ministers come from Auckland. We live here, we shop here, we sit in the same traffic as everyone else in this room. Ministers are constantly engaging with the Mayor and the Council. We are not here to serve Auckland Council. We are here to deliver for Aucklanders.

Yes, we are living in challenging times. The conflict in Iran is a reminder that we cannot always control what arrives on our doorstep. But what we can control is how prepared we are, how resilient we are, and how well we have set Auckland up to seize the opportunities ahead of it.

Auckland’s best days lie ahead of us. The plan is working. Let’s continue to fix the basics and build the future.

Thank you very much.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/28/speech-to-project-auckland-2/

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Speech to the Property Council

Source: New Zealand Government

Good afternoon, everyone. 

I’d like to thank Denise for the warm welcome and Leonie, and the rest of Property Council NZ for inviting me to speak.

It’s been about six months since I spoke to you at The Property Conference in Queenstown – 

I’m disappointed to see there is no pool this time!

Since September last year, we have seen strong year-on-year growth for building consents in each month. 

For instance, when it comes to residential buildings consents grew: 

  • 27% in the year to September 2025
  • 24% in the year to October 2025
  • 13% in the year to November 2025
  • 26% in the year to December 2025
  • 15% in the year to January 2026

Today I’ll run through where we are at on RMA reform, with a focus on housing and property, then touch on Development Levies. 

I’m also very excited to give you all a sneak peek into initial findings from an economic analysis I commissioned into the cost of viewshafts in Auckland. 

Then I’m happy to answer any question you guys have. 

Context

But before I get into it, I want to briefly touch on the context we are operating in. Over the last month, global events and uncertainty have impacted New Zealand’s economic recovery. 

The conflict in the Middle East, and its resulting fallout is hurting all kiwis, particularly with higher fuel prices at the pump.

This has exposed an uncomfortable reality for kiwis – 

Not only do we face systemic, decades-in-the-making challenges like low productivity and an infrastructure deficit – we also face significant and more frequent shocks such as extreme weather events and offshore conflicts.

At the same time, Fitch recently put our AA+ credit rating on a negative outlook. 

Currently, the interest bill on Government debt is $8.9 billion per annum and rising. In Wellington I’d say that’s six Transmission Gully’s a year on interest payments alone. 

If New Zealand’s credit rating was downgraded and that led to higher bond yields, then our interest payments would go up even more.

Taken together, we effectively have triplet headwinds (1) long-standing systemic economic issues, (2) exposure to shocks, and (3) high debt.

While we don’t have the power to declare peace in the Middle East, we can and must control how we respond.

Support for hardworking families 

To start, we have moved quickly to provide extra support for low-to-middle-income working families. 

From 7 April, about 143,000 working families with children will get an extra $50 a week through a boost to the in-work tax credit. The boost will also expand eligibility to around 14,000 additional working families. 

The increase will be temporary, lasting for one year or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below $3 a litre for four consecutive weeks. 

This boost will deliver support to working families who are under significant cost-of-living pressure, without making inflation worse or further driving up Government debt as this $373m initiative is being paid for out of Budget 2026 operating allowances. 

The COVID-19 Inquiry stressed that spending in response to crises should be timely, targeted, and temporary. 

That’s what we’re doing. 

The previous Government responded to COVID-19 through profligate, irresponsible spending – racking up debt. It’s clear some people have not learned from this and have called for this Government to make the same mistakes. But we won’t. 

Throwing the kitchen sink at every event that happens is a recipe for fiscal disaster. 

While it may sound simple and appealing, simply borrowing more could lead to a self-reinforcing “vicious cycle” where debt servicing takes up a large (and growing) share of government revenue, forcing increased taxes and/or cuts to public services and infrastructure to pay for that debt, which in turn reduces long-term economic growth, which then puts downward pressure on Government revenue, making the debt even less manageable. 

It is naive at best and economically-illiterate at worst to pretend that New Zealand can afford to run structural deficits. 

The Coalition Government understands New Zealand’s fiscal reality, and we know we cannot live beyond our means in the long run.

We are committed to protecting people’s living standards, which depends on strong fiscal discipline. We also know that sometimes, extra, targeted support is needed.

We can do both. 

Fuel plan

Right now, we know the conflict in the middle east is causing concerns across the country and across the world about supply of fuel.

As you know, the Government has been keeping New Zealanders informed about our fuel supply situation.

We have sufficient stocks for now, and we are working hard across diplomatic, commercial, and industry channels to ensure that remains the case.

But this situation is also a reminder of something we already knew – New Zealand is exposed to international fuel markets in ways that carry real risk.

Around half our fuel comes from South Korea and nearly a third from Singapore.

When global supply chains are disrupted, as they are now, that exposure becomes very tangible for families and businesses who feel the pain at the pump.

We know higher fuel prices are hitting families and businesses hard. That’s why we put in place the targeted cost-of-living relief for low- and middle-income families I mentioned before.

But maintaining fuel supply is the most important thing we can do to protect Kiwis from the worst-case scenarios.

Later this week, Nicola Willis – who is in charge of our response as a Government – will provide an update on the National Fuel Plan along with further detail around how we see some of the levels playing out in practice.

We all hope things improve quickly – but as the Prime Minister has said, hope is not a plan.

So, we’re doing the hard yards now to ensure New Zealand has a really solid fuel plan that gets us through whatever the international situation throws at us in the coming months.

Fixing the basics and building the future 

A key part of becoming more resilient to shocks is having strong institutions, functional regulation, and a high-performing economy.

As Paul Krugman observed – 

“Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything.”

This Government is supporting growth through policies like Investment Boost and Fast-Track, getting on with building billions in infrastructure, and signing up to more free trade agreements. 

We are also tackling long-standing systemic issues that have accumulated and festered for 20 to 30 years. 

I’m thinking of things of things like RMA reform, infrastructure funding and financing reform, sorting the Holidays Act, reversing wealth destructive earthquake prone building legislation, opening up competition in building materials, and more. 

I strongly believe that if we get these things right, maintain fiscal discipline, and keep momentum going, the 2030s will be New Zealand’s decade.

RMA reform

The single biggest thing this Government is doing to unlock New Zealand’s economy is RMA reform. 

Our new planning system will make it significantly easier to build the homes New Zealand needs. 

The Resource Management Act 1991 is the root cause of so many of our challenges. 

It has been a handbrake on growth and opportunity. It is directly responsible for New Zealand’s housing crisis – despite us having a land mass comparable to the United Kingdom but just five million people.

And it’s also allowed council planners to delay the delivery of social housing because the “grass colour is too similar to the concrete colour”. Or because “the colour of pipes on the house is too contrasted to the colour of the house itself”. Or because council was concerned there was no signage so people could find their house. 

These are all real examples from Kainga Ora. 

I am sure you have a laundry list of your own examples. But these are example of the past!

Our new planning system will radically change how we approach development, while still protecting the environment.

A specific goal of the new Planning Bill is for the system to enable competitive urban land markets by making land available to meet current and expected demand for business and residential use and development. 

National Direction will follow, including the establishment of housing growth targets, rules making it easier for cities to expand outwards, requirements to enable greater mixed-use zoning, and prohibitions on minimum floor area and balcony requirements.

My ambition is to deliver the most significant pro-housing reforms in a generation. In practice, this will mean: 

Everyone will be able to do more without needing council consent. The new system won’t control for things like the layout of your house, balconies, or private outdoor space – giving people more freedom to use their land how they see fit.

Developers will be able to use the same designs anywhere in the country. Right now, New Zealand has more than 1,100 different zones, each with its own set of rules. Under the new system, we’ll reduce that complexity by using standardising zones nationwide and applying consistent rules for key things like building height, site coverage, and daylight access. No more juggling different rules for Upper Hutt versus Lower Hutt, or Christchurch versus Selwyn.

Getting a consent will be simpler. If you do need one, the process will be simpler and cheaper. Rules will be clear, in more cases only affected people can take part in the consent process, and a new planning tribunal will help resolve disputes at low cost.

Land will be released faster through a mechanism that removes the need for extra plan changes or long consultations where the land has been previously identified as suitable for development.

And developers will have greater certainty to invest. Long-term spatial plans will show where new housing and infrastructure will go, so developers can plan projects and invest with confidence.

All of these changes – along with others – will finally give New Zealand the planning settings it needs to grow. 

Development Levies 

But as all of you here know, liberalising land markets and removing red tape is – on its own – not enough. 

We also need a flexible infrastructure funding and financing system to match our new flexible planning system. 

We have heard from the sector, and from the Property Council in-particular that we must get infrastructure funding and financing right – I agree.

So, we are making a suite of changes to the toolkit including:

  • Replacing Development Contributions (DCs) with a Development Levy system, where growth pays for growth
  • Establishing independent regulatory oversight of these Levies to ensure charges are fair and appropriate
  • Amending the IFF Act to make it easier to use and to broaden the providers that can use it

I want to go over where we are at on Development Levies. 

Late last year, we released an exposure draft on development levies to get the sector’s feedback. 

I’d like to thank Property Council for their submission. I’m told my officials and office had an initial workshop with Property Council on their submission, and I’ll be meeting with them next week to continue the conversation.

It’s clear the exposure draft doesn’t have everything right just yet, but that’s why we went out for consultation early – so we can take your feedback on board. For me, it’s vital that the sector has trust in the new system. 

We have heard your calls for more transparency on how much councils collect from developers for growth infrastructure, and how they use those funds.   

That is why we are getting the independent Commerce Commission to regulate Development Levies – with a focus on strong information disclosure requirements. 

My intention is also for the Commerce Commission to set the standardised methodology for calculating development levies. I can promise both councils and the sector that there will be consultation on this methodology. 

The Commission’s role will focus on ensuring levies are transparent, fair, and deliver value for communities, while safeguarding against anti-competitive behaviour. 

I think we can all agree that the current regime is not working. 

Our new Development Levies system, and our wider infrastructure funding and financing toolkit aims to do two things: be flexible to match our new flexible planning system, and strike a balance and be designed in a way where growth pays for growth in a fair and appropriate way.

I’m confident we can get there. 

We will continue to work with developers, councils, and groups like the Property Council to make sure we do. 

Once the legislation for development levies passes in 2027, councils will have time to establish their new levy policies. 

We expect the first councils to begin charging development levies in 2028/2029 – about the same time the new planning system comes in. 

Now, this alignment of “turning on” development levies and the new planning system at the same time is intentional and important – particularly when it comes to preparing new spatial plans and land-use plans.

We know this shift may increase charges for some developers, particularly those who’ve already bought land. 

That’s why the exposure draft proposes a three‑year phase‑in for any price increases where councils move early.

We’re looking closely at feedback on these transition settings to make sure the shift is manageable.

There will also be further opportunities to provide feedback through the select committee process.

We are committed to getting this right – it’s a once in a generation change to ensure we fund growth properly. 

I look forward to meeting with the Property Council on Development Levies next week. 

Viewshafts and Auckland CBD

Now, to finish, I’ll briefly touch on the work Government is doing on Auckland City CBD and give you a sneak peek of some economic analysis I commissioned on viewshafts. 

I don’t want to get into the whole PC120, PC78, MDRS, NPS-UD acronym soup speal so I will just say this: 

The Government believes there is significant unrealised potential in the CBD. Existing provisions, such as setback requirements, tower dimension controls, and height limits, constrain development and should be revisited. 

Enabling more growth in the city centre will unlock productivity and increase the benefits of CRL even further. 

However, for largely unfathomable RMA legal reasons, the City Centre Zone is not included in PC120 work, and the Council does not have a simple mechanism to unlock this potential.

Therefore, Cabinet has agreed that I will start an investigation into these planning provisions that are holding back Auckland’s city centre, with a view to making regulations under the RMA – similar to what we have just announced for Eden Park. 

This investigation will contribute to the Auckland we are trying to build which is an international, world-class city. 

*Now, on viewshafts – I’m told the Auckland Unitary Plan designates over 80 protective viewshaft cones and 10 height sensitive areas that impose building height limits on affected properties.

While the cultural and amenity rationale for these protections is well established, the height restrictions also impose a substantial economic cost on Auckland which is less understood. 

Work done by Geoff Cooper in 2018 found that the E10 viewshaft (which protects views of Mount Eden for southbound motorists approaching the Harbour Bridge around the Onewa onramp) was limiting development at a cost of $1.4 billion.

This is material, and I wanted to get a better and more up to date understanding of these costs. So, last year I commissioned a report on all 80 volcanic viewshafts. 

The report is yet to be finalised, and numbers could still change, but I wanted to share a statistic which I though was compelling, and a good comparison to work already done by Geoff Cooper. 

The draft report indicates that, based on current zoning patterns across Auckland, the harbour bridge viewshafts (E10 and E16) are limiting development in the central city at a cost of $4 billion. 

In other words, there is $4 billion of value locked up in just these two viewshafts. 

In addition to this, the draft analysis shows that viewshafts across the central isthmus are depressing disposable incomes in Auckland by an average of $2,500 per household per year due to transport and location-based inefficiencies.

I am looking forward to receiving the final report shortly and will publish it in the next month or two.

Conclusion

I’d like to thank the Property Council for inviting me to speak. 

Changes to our planning and housing systems are fundamental to this Government’s ambition to create a more prosperous future for New Zealand. 

Now it is up to all of us to do the hard work required to turn this ambition into reality.

Thank you. I look forward to your questions. 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/27/speech-to-the-property-council/

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Speech to the Automobile Association Annual Conference

Source: New Zealand Government

Introduction

Good afternoon. Thank you, Brett, for the introduction and everyone for the warm welcome.

I am excited to be here to talk with you today about transport funding, the transition to Road User Charges, and improvements to road safety, including our road toll and oral fluid testing.

I’d like to acknowledge Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson for her opening address today. We’ve seen a lot of each other lately, but it’s always good to see you!

I’d also like to acknowledge AA Chief Executive Nadine Tereroa and President Brett Flintoff.

Finally, I’d like to also acknowledge the many AA district councillors and AA staff who are here today. Thank you for the work you do to serve your members and be an advocate for the things that matter to New Zealand motorists.

Fuel Supply Shock

To begin, I would like to acknowledge the challenges the transport system, and all New Zealanders, are currently navigating due to the current fuel supply shock as a result of the conflict in the Middle East.

Right now, we know the conflict in the Middle East is causing concerns across the country and across the world about supply of fuel.

We have sufficient stocks in New Zealand and we are working hard across diplomatic, commercial, and industry channels to ensure that remains the case.

But this situation is also a reminder of something we already knew: New Zealand is exposed to international fuel markets in ways that carry real risk.

Around half our fuel comes from South Korea and nearly a third from Singapore.

When global supply chains are disrupted, as they are now, that exposure becomes very tangible for families and businesses who feel the pain at the pump.

We are already seeing significant shifts in behaviour across the country, and as a government we are closely monitoring these changes so we can respond to their impacts if needed. 

Using data from a sample of vehicles across the country, we can start to get a rough idea of how people are responding to this conflict. 

Comparing the two weeks pre-conflict in mid-February against 7-day rolling averages for subsequent weeks, we have seen a reduction of approximately 20% in the vehicle kilometres travelled by cars. Not necessarily surprising when petrol prices have gone up 30%. 

Also not surprising is that people are responding in a predictable way so far: they are using public transport more, with boardings up by more than 10% in Auckland and Wellington. MOT will be publishing updated data regularly, starting later today. 

Interestingly, last week saw more than 1,000 electric vehicles registered, close to double the week prior. This makes it the biggest week in EV registrations since the end of 2023. Year-to-date registrations are nearly 2,000 higher than this time last year.

Heavy vehicles are also down around 5% over the last few days, despite an increase of 70% in diesel prices. This is expected – those who rely on heavy vehicles for freight or commercial use have far less ability to respond to these kinds of price shocks with immediate alternatives. 

We know higher fuel prices are hitting families and businesses hard. That’s why we announced targeted cost-of-living relief for low- and middle-income families earlier this week.

From 7 April, about 143,000 working families with children will get an extra $50 a week through a boost to the in-work tax credit. 

The increase will be temporary, lasting for one year or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below $3 a litre for four consecutive weeks. 

This boost will deliver support to working families who are under significant cost-of-living pressure, without driving inflation up higher or further driving up Government debt as this $373m initiative is being paid for out of Budget 2026 operating allowances.

The COVID-19 Inquiry stressed that spending in response to crises should be timely, targeted, and temporary. That is also what Treasury says.

That’s what we’re doing. 

The previous Government responded to COVID-19 through profligate, irresponsible spending – racking up debt. Some people have not learned from this and have called for this Government to make the same mistakes. But we won’t. 

Throwing the kitchen sink at every event that happens is a recipe for fiscal disaster. 

I understand the calls for broad, across the board, fuel tax cuts.

The government won’t be doing that, for a few reasons. 

One, as people here know, every dollar from petrol tax and RUC goes into the National Land Transport Fund, which funds our transport system.

Across the board fuel tax cuts are also extremely expensive, and they are untargeted.

We’d rather focus support on those who need it most.

The reality is that maintaining fuel supply is the most important thing we can do to protect Kiwis from the worst case scenarios.

Later today Nicola Willis – who is in charge of our response as a Government – will provide an update on the National Fuel Plan along with further detail around how we see some of the steps playing out in practice.

We all hope things improve quickly – but as the Prime Minister has said, hope is not a plan.

So, we’re doing the hard yards now to ensure New Zealand has a solid fuel plan that gets us through whatever the international situation throws at us in the coming months. 

Our Transport Funding Challenge

We have significant transport funding challenges.

I am determined to be upfront with the public about this.

Our transport system is supposed to be user pays. In other words, road users pay petrol tax and road user charges and the money goes out the other end on maintenance, upgrades and new projects.

But in recent years, Crown funding has been tipped in more and more, which comes from general taxation – in other words, all taxpayers.

The 2018-21 National Land Transport Programme outlined expenditure of $17 billion over 3 years, and was largely funded by road users, who contributed $13 billion.

Fast forward to the 2024-27 NLTP, and the total investment has nearly doubled at $32.9 billion, but road users are still contributing roughly the same amount, $14.3 billion.

The increased investment has come primarily from Crown funding, with around $12.8 billion of direct Crown funding provided over 2024-27.

Capital contributions from general taxation have to compete with every other important priority the government has to fund.

Every dollar of extra Crown capital we put into roading is a dollar that can’t go into health, or education, or defence, or any of the other calls on capital the Crown has.

Of course, all of these areas have significant deficits and similar funding challenges.

So that’s a real problem.

Then you add in all of the calls for transport investment.

We have real resilience challenges on our state highway network. The recent weather events on the East Coast have shone a spotlight on that.

We have significant deferred maintenance and renewal work required on the Wellington and Auckland metro rail network.

The country needs a second harbour crossing in Auckland.

City Rail Link will open later this year, and soon the conversation will turn to what the next big public transport project is in Auckland.

We have pipeline of Roads of National Significance, important growth-enhancing projects around the country.

So how do we make all of this add up?

One option is to lift petrol tax and RUC.

Petrol tax has not risen since 2020 and has not kept up with inflation. In 2023, we campaigned on not increasing petrol tax in our first term. This was the right thing to do when there was a cost of living crisis, but we have to be honest about those consequences. It has deferred the issue until later.

Petrol tax is currently due to go up by 12c per litre in 2027, by six cents on 1 January 2028, and 4 cents in each year after that.

I have to be honest with you, the idea that we would put up fuel tax during a fuel crisis seems like a non-starter to me.

I’m thinking hard about the funding challenge we’ve just laid out and I’ll have more to say soon.

Later this year we’ll publish a draft Government Policy Statement for Transport funding from 2027 onwards, which lays out how we intend to confront some of these challenges.

And we’re also intending to publish what I’ve been calling a Major Transport Projects Pipeline.

This is about building a credible, long-term pipeline of transport projects with a variety of funding options and in a logical sequence, so that when funding becomes available, the sector and the public knows what project is coming next, and can plan and prepare for it.

New funding tools

We are pushing forward with our reforms to increase the number of funding tools we have in the toolkit to deliver transport projects.

Last year, we introduced the Land Transport (Revenue) Amendment Bill to move towards a fairer, simpler, and more modern transport funding system.

The Bill introduces a more flexible tolling framework and enables simpler, technology-enabled ways to pay road user charges, so everyone pays their fair share for the roads they use.

At the heart of these reforms is fairness. Every road user should contribute in proportion to their use of the network.

Transition to RUC

Our road user charges system is outdated. It was designed in the 1970s and still relies on manual paperwork and paper licences.

Right now, drivers paying RUC have to track their odometer readings and stick paper labels to their windscreen.

The Bill opens the door for new payment models like subscriptions or post-payment, and allows private companies to offer easy, set-and-forget billing options – similar to how many of us already pay for power or streaming services.

The changes, to modernise the system, will also help us prepare for abolishing the fuel excise duty and transition everyone over to RUC.

The abolition of petrol tax, and the move towards all vehicles (whether they be petrol, diesel, electric or hybrid) paying for roads based on distance and weight, is the biggest change to how we fund our roading network in 50 years.

As our vehicle fleet changes, so too must the way we fund our roads. It isn’t fair to have Kiwis who drive less and who can’t afford a fuel-efficient car paying more than people who can afford one and drive more often.

The Government’s plan will eventually see all vehicles pay based on actual road use (including weight) regardless of fuel type.

Tolling

On tolling, we are giving ourselves the flexibility to deliver the big projects New Zealand needs, sooner.

Tolling is a key tool for bringing forward investment, and the Bill introduces a number of changes.

Enabling corridor tolling will allow tolling on parts of an existing road where users clearly benefit from a new project in the same corridor.

The Bill gives us new tools to manage diversion from toll roads, including restricting heavy vehicles from unsuitable alternative routes like they do overseas, and allowing toll revenue to help maintain those alternative routes when councils can’t.

We are also introducing annual CPI adjustments to make tolling fairer and more predictable, as well as shifting liability from the driver to the registered person to improve collection efficiency.

Time of Use Charging

Other legislation passed last year gives local authorities the tools to tackle the problem of congestion.

Sitting in traffic wastes time, costs money, and drags down productivity. 

Our three largest cities are significantly more congested than comparable Australian cities with similar population sizes and densities, with Auckland congestion alone estimated to cost up to $2.6 billion by 2026.

Time-of-use charging is a commonsense tool to encourage people to travel at off-peak times or by other modes. It’s about keeping our cities moving.

The legislation allows local authorities to partner with NZTA on targeted time-of-use schemes to ease gridlock, improve travel time reliability, and support economic growth.

Auckland Council is well advanced in shortlisting scheme design options and the Ministry of Transport and NZTA officials are supporting them with implementation planning.

Road safety 

Finally, I want to spend a moment on what we’re seeing in road safety outcomes, and what’s sitting behind them.

Road deaths have trended down since 2022. In 2024, there were 292 deaths and 2,461 serious injuries on our roads. That’s good progress, and it matters. 

But we need to be careful not to draw simple conclusions from complex data. No single factor explains year‑to‑year changes in deaths and serious injuries, and it’s still too early to say whether this represents a long‑term downward trend.

What we do know is that the biggest gains come when we focus on the highest‑risk behaviours and invest in proven, cost‑effective interventions. 

That’s exactly what the Road Safety Objectives are designed to do — with a clear focus on the main contributors to fatal crashes, including alcohol and drugs.

Enforcement is a critical part of that picture. The Government has invested a record $1.335 billion over three years, from 2024 to 2027, into the Road Policing Investment Programme. That funding supports frontline policing and enforcement activity, particularly during high‑risk times. 

 

Each year, the programme targets 3.3 million passive breath tests and breath screening tests, with more than two million of those carried out when risk is highest. 

Importantly, funding is also ring‑fenced for 50,000 roadside oral fluid drug tests each year from the first year of implementation.

I also want to share what we’re hearing directly from Police as roadside drug testing beds in.

Since testing was introduced across the Wellington region in December, Police have been gaining valuable operational insight into how this new road safety tool works in practice. 

Testing has been carried out right across the district — from Wellington central through to the Wairarapa and Kapiti — and that experience is already shaping how the national rollout will be delivered.

As of 18 March, Police have conducted more than 650 roadside drug screening tests, resulting in 24 positive tests. The positivity rate at the roadside is broadly in line with what Police see for alcohol.

While it’s still too early to draw conclusions about national trends, Police have seen an increase in positive results as testing activity has expanded across Wellington.

Importantly, officers report favourable feedback from the public during testing. Police are continuing to collect data, but at this early stage the focus is on learning, refining processes, and getting ready.

Feedback from frontline staff has been positive, with Police telling us they are geared up and ready to support the nationwide rollout, with testing across New Zealand by mid‑2026.

But enforcement alone isn’t enough. The Road Safety Objectives also focus on improving the safety of the roads themselves. As the recent AA research report points out, where we have made significant investment in improving the roads we see the benefits of reduced deaths and serious injuries.

Vehicles are another important piece of the puzzle. The overall safety of New Zealand’s has continued to improve over time. In 2025 alone, there were nearly 40,000 fewer one‑ and two‑star vehicles on the road.

Alcohol interlocks 

Finally, we’re looking closely at what works for repeat high‑risk offenders. One key, underutilised, tool here is alcohol interlocks. 

A recent Ministry of Transport study using the Integrated Data Infrastructure database affirms that alcohol interlocks reduce the risk of alcohol-impaired driving.  

Here’s some very interesting data. 

Drink-driving offenders given alcohol interlock orders are:  

  • 9% less likely to reoffend within four years,
  • 45% more likely to remain in employment, and
  • 22% less likely to depend on welfare than comparable drink-drivers given driving disqualification orders. 

It’s clear that alcohol interlocks are effective when they’re installed and used properly.  

Despite their effectiveness, the uptake of alcohol interlocks is lower than it could – and frankly should – be. Many eligible offenders are not given alcohol interlock sentences, and many offenders who are ordered to get alcohol interlock devices do not do so. 

I am actively investigating how to increase the uptake of interlocks with Paul Goldsmith, the Minister of Justice.

Tackling New Zealand’s toughest road safety challenges means focusing on what works and making sure it’s used as effectively as possible.

Conclusion

Thank you for listening and I welcome any questions you have.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/27/speech-to-the-automobile-association-annual-conference/

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Speech to the Infrastructure NZ One Day Conference

Source: New Zealand Government

Good morning, everyone. 

It’s great to be here today. 

I’d like to thank Katie Bradford for the warm welcome and Nick Leggett and his team at Infrastructure New Zealand for hosting today’s event. 

Katie – congratulations on your new role, I look forward to seeing you continue to cover infrastructure at the NZ Herald. 

I’d also like to acknowledge Labour Infrastructure spokesperson, Kieran McAnulty.

Last time we were are at an Infrastructure NZ event together we were wearing the same shoes – I hope that passes as bipartisanship.

In all seriousness, I do think we agree on the fundamentals – which is building consensus on the idea that governments of all stripes should use best practice to plan, select, fund and finance, deliver, and look after infrastructure.

I said it last year, Kieran said it in Parliament the other week, and I’m glad we are getting to this place. 

Today, I’ll run through the how the Government intends to respond to the National Infrastructure Plan, then I’m happy to answer your questions. 

But before I get into it, I want to briefly touch on the context we are operating in. 

Context

Over the last month, global events and uncertainty have impacted New Zealand’s economic recovery. 

The conflict in the Middle East, and its resulting fallout is hurting all kiwis, particularly with higher fuel prices at the pump.

This has exposed an uncomfortable reality for kiwis – 

Not only do we face systemic, decades-in-the-making challenges like low productivity and an infrastructure deficit – we also face significant and more frequent shocks such as extreme weather events and offshore conflicts.

At the same time, Fitch recently put our AA+ credit rating on a negative outlook. 

Currently, the interest bill on Government debt is $8.9 billion per annum and rising. In Wellington I’d say that’s six Transmission Gullys a year on interest payments alone, but here in Auckland maybe a better point of comparison is the City Rail Link project – we could get another 1.5 CRLs per year for that kind of money.

If New Zealand’s credit rating was downgraded and that led to higher bond yields, then our interest payments would go up even more.

Taken together, we effectively have triplet headwinds (1) long-standing systemic economic issues, (2) exposure to shocks, and (3) high debt.

While we don’t have the power to declare peace in the Middle East, we can and must control how we respond.

Support for hardworking families 

To start, we have moved quickly to provide extra support for low-to-middle-income working families. 

From 7 April, about 143,000 working families with children will get an extra $50 a week through a boost to the in-work tax credit. The boost will also expand eligibility to around 14,000 additional working families. 

The increase will be temporary, lasting for one year or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below $3 a litre for four consecutive weeks. 

This boost will deliver support to working families who are under significant cost-of-living pressure, without making inflation worse or further driving up Government debt as this $373m initiative is being paid for out of Budget 2026 operating allowances. 

The COVID-19 Inquiry stressed that spending in response to crises should be timely, targeted, and temporary. 

That’s what we’re doing. 

The previous Government responded to COVID-19 through profligate, irresponsible spending – racking up debt. It’s clear some people have not learned from this and have called for this Government to make the same mistakes. But we won’t. 

Throwing the kitchen sink at every event that happens is a recipe for fiscal disaster. 

While it may sound simple and appealing, simply borrowing more could lead to a self-reinforcing “vicious cycle” where debt servicing takes up a large (and growing) share of government revenue. 

That forces increased taxes and/or cuts to public services and infrastructure to pay for that debt, which in turn reduces long-term economic growth, which then puts downward pressure on Government revenue, making the debt even less manageable. 

It is naive at best and economically-illiterate at worst to pretend that New Zealand can afford to run structural deficits. 

The Coalition Government understands New Zealand’s fiscal reality, and we know we cannot live beyond our means in the long run.

We are committed to protecting people’s living standards, which depends on strong fiscal discipline. We also know that sometimes extra, targeted support is needed.

We can do both. 

Fuel plan

Right now, we know the conflict in the middle east is causing concerns across the country and across the world about supply of fuel. 

As you know, Government has been keeping New Zealanders informed about our fuel supply situation. 

We have sufficient stocks for now, and we are working hard across diplomatic, commercial, and industry channels to ensure that remains the case.

But this situation is also a reminder of something we already knew – New Zealand is exposed to international fuel markets in ways that carry real risk.

Around half our fuel comes from South Korea and nearly a third from Singapore. 

When global supply chains are disrupted, as they are now, that exposure becomes very tangible for families and businesses who feel the pain at the pump.

We know higher fuel prices are hitting families and businesses hard. That’s why we put in place the targeted cost-of-living relief for low- and middle-income families earlier this week.

But maintaining fuel supply is the most important thing we can do to protect Kiwis from the worst-case scenarios.

Later this week Nicola Willis – who is in charge of our response as a Government – will provide an update on the National Fuel Plan along with further detail around how we see some of the levels playing out in practice. 

We all hope things improve quickly, but as the Prime Minister has said, hope is not a plan.

So, we’re doing the hard yards now to ensure New Zealand has a really solid fuel plan that gets us through whatever the international situation throws at us in the coming months.

Fixing the basics and building the future 

A key part of becoming more resilient to shocks is having strong institutions, functional regulation, and a high-performing economy.

As Paul Krugman observed – “Productivity isn’t everything, but in the long run it is almost everything.”

This Government is supporting growth through policies like Investment Boost and Fast-Track, getting on with building billions in infrastructure, and signing up to more free trade agreements. 

We are also tackling long-standing systemic issues that have accumulated and festered for 20 to 30 years. 

I’m thinking of things like RMA reform, infrastructure funding and financing reform, sorting the Holidays Act, reversing wealth destructive earthquake prone building legislation, opening up competition in building materials, and more. 

I strongly believe that if we get these things right, maintain fiscal discipline, and keep momentum going, the 2030s will be New Zealand’s decade.

National Infrastructure Plan 

Now, I want to touch on how the Government intends to respond to the National Infrastructure Plan.

The Infrastructure Commission released the final Plan on 17 February. 

I’d like to acknowledge Raveen, Geoff, and the team at the Commission for their hard work on this. 

The Plan does not sugar coat things: New Zealand has real challenges ahead.

We spend a lot on infrastructure – around 5.8% of GDP annually, one of the highest in the OECD – yet we rank towards the bottom for efficiency, and we are fourth to last in for asset management. 

Many government agencies do not properly understand what they own nor have long-term investment plans. The assurance system for new projects is also weak and not focused on giving Ministers confidence that we are getting good value for money.

New Zealand’s future prosperity depends on high quality infrastructure. It is central to our quality of life. 

It’s been clear to me since I became Minister that change is needed, and this is what the Plan will help us do.

The Plan puts forward 16 recommendations that sit under four key themes. 

Those four themes are:

  1. Planning what we can afford
  2. Looking after what we’ve got
  3. Prioritising the right projects
  4. Making it easier to build better

Many of the recommendations the Commission suggests are long-term system shifts including legislating requirements for long-term investment and asset management plans. 

Now, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time we’ve seen some of these recommendations. 

This isn’t even the country’s first infrastructure plan. 

New Zealand actually had plans in 2010, 2011, and 2015. 

Some recommendations in these older plans are identical to the ones in this Plan!

My theory of the case is: 

Previous Governments completed these reports, looked at the recommendations, and said “oh that’s nice”, “that could be ok”, “let’s look into that a bit more” – then, ultimately, pushed the boat out on hard changes. 

I am not going to do that.  

This Government is up for big changes, and we thank the Commission for their challenges and for their recommendations. 

We will be studying these recommendations thoughtfully and carefully. 

Then, we are statutorily required to respond to the Plan in mid-June this year.

I know many people in this room are keen to see more bipartisanship in the infrastructure sector. To the extent that that’s possible, I’m up for it. 

That’s why all parties in Parliament were offered briefings from the Commission on the Plan. 

We also held a Special Debate on the Plan once it was finalised. 

I can’t claim to speak for all parties, but I suspect that almost all of the projects underway right now are supported by everyone.

It’s the high profile and high-cost disagreements that make the headlines. But it’s the low profile and often low-cost projects that actually make New Zealand.

I’ve long held the view that we should move away from the rhetoric of needing a bipartisan pipeline and instead build bipartisan consensus on the idea that governments of all stripes should use best practice to plan, select, fund and finance, deliver, and look after infrastructure.

It was really nice to hear Kieran McAnulty, who is here today say something similar in Parliament the other day. 

He said: 

  • “Surely we can make genuine efforts to agree on the settings by which infrastructure is assessed and funded and delivered in this country”. I agree, I think we can do that. 

He also said: 

  • If all Crown infrastructure went through the independent assurance process that the Infrastructure Commission has set up, then we will go a long way to avoiding the cancellation of projects that we have seen in the past.

On this, I also largely agree with Mr McAnulty, and I will have more to say on that soon.  

I intend to engage with other political parties in Parliament before finalising the Government’s response in June.

Other improvements to Investment Management System 

Before I finish, I just want to quickly go over initial work we have done to improve data and transparency as it relates to Crown infrastructure. 

Last year’s announcement of ‘$7 billion of Government-funded infrastructure projects entering construction’ actually came about because one day I noticed there were quite a few projects starting in the couple of months. 

So, I asked for a list of projects starting construction in the next six months. 

It took about a month to collect this information centrally, which is emblematic of the system not providing Ministers the information we need in the form we need it.

If I’m honest, Ministers also didn’t have good visibility of agencies’ investment activity and performance. 

This made it difficult to signal to the sector when projects were coming to market, and to intervene when agencies are off-track with a project, aren’t meeting their requirements, have significant lag times between being funded and signing contracts, or – worse – are systemically underperforming across multiple metrics.

This was not acceptable. 

The public deserve to know that their tax dollars are being spent responsibly and effectively. 

To better hold agencies to account and to make sure Ministers can act on issues earlier, we have strengthened Quarterly Investment Reporting. 

Now, each quarter we know key metrics, like how much spend is going out the door and the ratio of agencies’ actual versus planned expenditure. 

New Zealand has long struggled to turn funding into construction quickly, and the market has made it clear that they want higher quality information on upcoming construction activity. The improved QIR now makes it clear which agencies are behind.

The Minister of Finance and I have stressed to Portfolio Ministers the need for accurate reporting and forecasting. It’s early days, but we’re closely monitoring whether underspend improves in 2026.

Conclusion

Thanks again to Nick and the team at Infrastructure New Zealand for inviting me to speak.

It’s great to see so many people here passionate about getting infrastructure right in New Zealand – like Kieran, who I will be talking to shortly about the Government’s response to the National Infrastructure Plan. 

I welcome everyone’s feedback on what else the Government should do to improve the system. 

Because ultimately, I think we’re all in this room because we believe in a better New Zealand with higher living standards for all kiwis – backed by high-quality public services and well-maintained infrastructure.

Thank you. 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/26/speech-to-the-infrastructure-nz-one-day-conference/

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Workers First calls on finance sector to act on fuel crisis and support workers

Source: Workers First Union

Workers First – the union for finance workers – has written to financial institutions across Aotearoa, calling on them to support their staff amid rising petrol costs and warning that workers are spending an increasing proportion of their wages simply travelling to and from work.
Callum Francis, Workers First National Organiser for Finance, is asking institutions to suspend any attendance requirements, to offer improved working-from-home arrangements where possible, and to subsidise transport costs for staff required to be onsite.
Petrol prices in Auckland surged as much as 24 cents in a single weekend recently, with 91-grade fuel hitting a near four-year high. Industry forecasts suggest prices could reach $4 per litre, representing a near 50% increase in fuel costs for many workers.
“Finance workers offer care and consideration to customers every single day,” said Mr Francis.
“We’re asking their employers to offer them the same. This is no longer a nice-to-have – it is becoming a necessity.”
Nick(*), a union member who works at a major financial institution, said that support from employers to work from home would be practical during an unprecedented economic crisis.
“We already do over half of our work from home anyway, and it would show good faith and care for us during a tough time for everyone,” he said.
“Colleagues sometimes have no option but to drive an hour or more into work but aren’t eligible for the Government support, and this would offer a sense of relief to our families.”
“This is a national emergency and we’re all supposed to help out – so why should workers be the ones taking the hit? Employers should do this for our country as well as their staff.”
Mr Francis drew a parallel with the Covid-19 pandemic, during which many financial institutions rapidly adapted their operations to support staff working from home, or if absolutely necessary, attending workplaces.
“Businesses showed during Covid that they could act quickly and pragmatically when workers needed them to. We’re asking for that same approach now,” said Mr Francis.
“Billion-dollar institutions like banks and insurance providers can and should provide relief and convenience to their workers whenever it’s possible – especially during a crisis.”
Workers First Union is seeking meetings with financial institutions and expects responses in the coming weeks.
(*)Name changed due to employer restrictions on public speech.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/26/workers-first-calls-on-finance-sector-to-act-on-fuel-crisis-and-support-workers/

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Defence News – Emotional return to Tokelau for Royal New Zealand Navy sailor

Source: New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)

Returning to her spiritual home of Tokelau was a profound experience for Petty Officer Christina Sola, who visited the island while on deployment with the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) during the recent Operation Calypso in the South West Pacific.

New Zealand-born, but of Tokelauan, Samoan and New Zealand European descent, Petty Officer Sola reconnected with whānau when HMNZS Canterbury arrived in Tokelau.

Incorporated in the operation was the celebration of the centenary of New Zealand’s administration of Tokelau and on board the ship for the occasion was New Zealand Governor-General Dame Cindy Kiro.

“To step ashore alongside my shipmates, and on this occasion in the presence of the Governor‑General Dame Cindy Kiro, was an immense honour and a moment of profound personal and cultural significance,” Petty Officer Sola said.

“Tokelau is my tūrangawaewae – a place where I feel grounded spiritually, mentally and physically. It is sacred and treasured land, richly woven with history, culture and tradition. Each time I arrive, it instantly feels like home.”

Petty Officer Sola’s Tokelauan family hails from Fakaofo atoll. Her husband Penehe, also of Tokelauan descent, comes from the atolls of Nukunonu and Atafu. They have four children and she credits her husband’s unwavering support for being able to continue doing the job she loves in the Navy.

The communications warfare specialist enlisted in 2008 and has worked across a wide range of operational and leadership roles supporting New Zealand’s defence and security efforts, both at home and around the world.

She last visited Tokelau in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Petty Officer Sola said the situation was entirely different then and the stakes couldn’t have been higher.

“Canterbury was tasked to deliver routine cyclone season support and essential supplies. This included new freshwater tanks, solar equipment, generator maintenance, and most importantly, Covid-19 vaccination supplies.

“Tokelau had no recorded cases of Covid-19 at the time and there was a very real possibility that, if we were not careful, we could have been the ones to introduce the virus to a population of fewer than 1,500 people.

“I was incredibly grateful that our deployable teams completed the mission without any incident and I was still able to see my family, while not touching one another to keep the strict two-metre distancing policy in place.”

This recent arrival was very different from the last, with loved ones from both her own and her husband’s family welcoming her across the three Tokelauan atolls.

“These are moments I will cherish forever. I will always acknowledge the sacrifices they have made – and continue to make – so that our families around the world can pursue opportunities and lives abroad, including those of us living and serving in Aotearoa, New Zealand.”

Petty Officer Sola’s career has seen her sail from the sub-Antarctic to the Pacific, across to Asia and over to the United States.

As part of the Navy’s extensive operation to the South-West Pacific and alongside the Tokelau centenary visit, HMNZS Canterbury crew facilitated an upgrade of critical tsunami and volcano monitoring equipment on Raoul Island, and conducted a successful search and rescue operation near Tonga.  

With New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel aboard, the military sealift vessel covered 4580 nautical miles, without the ship needing to take on additional food or fuel over 23 days.  

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/defence-news-emotional-return-to-tokelau-for-royal-new-zealand-navy-sailor/

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University students facing the ‘toughest time’ in years as costs increase

Source: Radio New Zealand

Victoria University of Wellington Students Association president Aidan Donoghue displays empty boxes at the association’s foodbank. SUPPLIED

Student association leaders warn more students are struggling to make ends meet and rising prices will make the problem worse.

Victoria University’s student association says its food bank shelves are being cleaned out every week, AUT’s association says international students are especially hard hit, and Lincoln University’s association says demand for financial assistance has remained high since the pandemic began in 2020.

Their comments accompanied the launch of a study that found a marked increase in student hardship across several universities in the past five years.

The report by an Otago University student during an internship with the Green Party said there had been sustained growth in the use of foodbanks and hardship grants at several universities since 2019.

It said numbers were highest during the height of the pandemic in 2020, but remained above pre-pandemic levels last year.

The report said international students, single parents and female students were more likely to seek help for food insecurity.

It said the the number of students using a foodbank at AUT jumped from about 100 in 2020 to more than 1800 last year, about three-quarters of them foreign students.

At Victoria University, the student association’s spending on its food bank jumped from about $7000 in 2019 to more than $13,000 last year.

The report said Otago University Students Association provided about 250 food bags in 2019 and nearly 700 last year.

The three associations awarded on average $20,000 each in hardship grants last year, less than at the height of the pandemic but about double the figure in 2019.

The report’s author Anika Texley said the students’ associations collected different data about student hardship, but the overall picture was of growing demand for help.

“They’re struggling to meet their needs and their most basic needs. So things like rent tend to be prioritized over groceries,” she said.

Texley said students were struggling with rising expenses across the board.

“It’s not just groceries, it’s also bills, rising utility, rent is going up, and it’s consistently going up. So it’s an ongoing issue,” she said.

Texley completed her report while working as an intern for Green Party MP Francisco Hernandez.

He said students had been struggling for years and the report showed that the situation had worsened.

“And sadly, things are only going to get worse with the war ongoing in Iran. The cost of everything, gas, energy, groceries, rents, will spike up even further,” he said.

Hernandez said all students should be eligible for an allowance, rather than having to borrow for living costs through the student loan system.

The cupboard is bare

Victoria University of Wellington Students Association president Aidan Donoghue said its foodbank cupboards had been cleared out by hungry students.

“This Monday we had an order to completely fill out that food bank and it’s completely gone already,” he said.

“We’ve seen an increase of us having to order from roughly once every fortnight to once every week to now twice a week.”

Donoghue said the association received about $10,000 a year from the university to stock the foodbank and it would need double that sum to keep up with demand.

He said the fund ran out before the end of the year in 2025 and this year it has cut back on non-food items.

“We’ve had to cut all of our non-food expenditure. We’ve really just had to keep it to the basics of rice, pasta, food in cans,” he said.

“There’s no more toilet paper, there’s no more toothpaste, there’s no more deodorant, because all that costs far too much, and we need to stretch the food bank as far as it will go.”

Donoghue said about 100 students a week were visiting the food bank and many more students were struggling to pay their bills.

“Students are facing the toughest time they’ve had in years when it comes to just meeting the basics of rent, power, public transport,” he said.

He said students could receive up to $320 for living costs from the student loan scheme or as a student allowance if they qualified but needed roughly a further $100-200 to make ends meet.

AUT student association president James Portegys told RNZ students were coming every day for food vouchers or food bank packs and rising prices were making the situation worse.

“Obviously, the prices were already high, and now they’re increasing, so it’s quite a few students are now struggling,” he said.

Portegys said last year some students stopped coming to university because they could not afford the bus fare and the association successfully campaigned for discounted fares for students.

“We heard evidence of students choosing between paying rent, eating, or coming to campus. And what are you going to do? You’re going to choose to pay your rent and eat food,” he said.

Lincoln University students association president Zara Weissenstein told RNZ

“We had a huge increase in all of our financial assistance fund applications during COVID-19, of course and that consistently stayed quite high,” she said.

Weissenstein said the university ran a food bank and the association had noted an increase in students attending events with free food.

“Food is a really big thing because that’s often the first thing that students won’t prioritise because you have to prioritise your general expenses first, so your rent and your utilities that happen every month,” she said.

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

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/20/university-students-facing-the-toughest-time-in-years-as-costs-increase/

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COVID-19 and long COVID 2024/25: New Zealand Health Survey

Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health

Publication date:

This page presents a summary of data from questions about COVID-19 and long COVID added to the New Zealand Health Survey (NZHS) in 2024/25. These questions asked adults aged 15 years and over if they had ever had a COVID-19 infection, and if they experienced any prolonged symptoms following that infection.

On this page

    …

Key findings

How to interpret the results

All data is self-reported

It is important to note that, as is the case for most survey data, the questions asked relied on respondents reporting their own experiences. This can lead to under or over-reporting, which can differ by demographic group. For example, individuals who had asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 and were unaware of the infection would likely not report ever having a COVID-19 infection. Some individuals may also have feelings of stigma around COVID-19 and are therefore less likely to report ever having an infection.

We recommend being mindful of this and exercising caution when interpreting the results, particularly for Pacific peoples.

In addition, there is currently no internationally agreed definition or diagnostic test for long COVID. Individuals’ responses will reflect their understanding of the symptoms that can be associated with long COVID, such as fatigue, poor concentration or memory, shortness of breath and loss of taste or smell. These symptoms can also be caused by, or affected by, other factors.

Finding more information

Information on the survey questions and indicator definitions used in this report, as well as information on survey methodology, technical information and a link to the questionnaire are available at the end of the page.

More information about prolonged symptoms attributable to infection with COVID-19 is available in the following evidence brief: Prolonged Symptoms Attributable to Infection with COVID-19. 

Read patient information about COVID-19 and long COVID on Health New Zealand’s website. 

Results

Nearly 4 out of 5 adults reported ever having COVID-19

New data from the 2024/25 NZHS shows that nearly 4 out of 5 (77.7%) adults reported ever having COVID-19, reflecting over 3.3 million people. 75.9% of all adults reported having a positive RAT or PCR test, while 1.8% of all adults said they believed they had had COVID-19 but did not get a positive test.

Women (79.8%) reported higher rates of ever having COVID-19 than men (75.5%). Rates were lower among Pacific adults (71.5%), Asian adults (71.2%), adults living in the most deprived neighbourhoods (70.7%), disabled adults (68.5%), and adults aged 65-years-and-over (64.4%).

About 1 in 11 of all adults reported ever having long COVID symptoms

Respondents who reported ever having COVID-19 were asked if they had experienced any symptoms lasting three months or longer that they did not have prior to having COVID-19, and were not explained by a different diagnosis. This was referred to as long COVID in the questionnaire.

Among the total population, about 1 in 11 adults (9.2% or 401,000 people) reported ever having long COVID symptoms. This represents 11.9% of adults who reported ever having COVID-19.

Further breakdowns about demographic groups ever having long COVID symptoms are available in the downloadable dataset below.

Women, Māori, and disabled adults were more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms

Women were more likely than men to report ever having COVID-19 and were also more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms. Among those who reported ever having COVID-19, about 1 in 7 women (14.9%) reported ever having long COVID symptoms, compared to about 1 in 12 men (8.5%).

This difference between men and women reflects different outcomes by age group. As shown in Figure 1 below, women under the age of 65 who reported ever having COVID-19 were more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms than men of the same age group.

Figure 1: Prevalence of reporting ever having long COVID symptoms among individuals who had ever had COVID-19, by gender and broad age group, 2024/25

Use arrow keys to navigate the key indicator items.

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Download


Download dataset


(csv, 173 bytes)

Māori adults were more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms after having COVID-19 compared to non-Māori adults. Among those who reported ever having COVID-19, approximately 1 in 6 Māori adults (15.5%) reported ever having long COVID symptoms, compared to approximately 1 in 9 non-Māori adults (11.3%).

Disabled adults were also more likely to report ever having long COVID symptoms after having COVID-19 compared to non-disabled adults. Among those who reported ever having COVID-19, approximately 1 in 4 disabled adults (22.8%) reported ever having long COVID symptoms, compared to approximately 1 in 9 non-disabled adults (11.0%).

These figures only show associations between long COVID and disability rather than cause-and-effect relationships, and other factors may contribute to the differences. We cannot determine from the NZHS data alone whether the individual was disabled prior to developing long COVID or if their long COVID symptoms have resulted in a disability.

Approximately 185,000 adults were experiencing long COVID symptoms in 2024/25

Approximately 185,000 adults (4.3%) reported currently experiencing long COVID symptoms at the time they were interviewed in 2024/25. This reflects approximately 117,000 women (5.3%) and 67,000 men (3.1%).

Further breakdowns about demographic groups currently experiencing long COVID symptoms at the time of the 2024/25 survey are available in the downloadable dataset below. 

Among those who reported ever having long COVID symptoms, approximately half (48.5%) were still experiencing symptoms at the time they were interviewed in 2024/25.

Download the data

The downloadable dataset below contains aggregated data by gender, age, ethnic group, neighbourhood deprivation, disability status and health region. It also contains 95% confidence intervals and adjusted rate ratios.





COVID data table

(
xlsx,
61.2 KB
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Methodology and data notes

Questions used in this analysis

Please see the Questionnaires and Content Guide 2024/25 for the full questionnaire text.

Have you ever had COVID-19?

1. Yes, I had a positive RAT or PCR test

2. Yes, I believe I have had it but I didn’t get a positive test

3. No, I don’t think I’ve had COVID-19

.K Don’t know

.R Refused

Long-COVID is when symptoms that start during or after a COVID-19 infection continue for 3 months or longer and are not explained by a different diagnosis. The symptoms can change over time.

Did you have any symptoms lasting 3 months or longer that you did not have prior to having COVID-19?

1. Yes

2. No

.K Don’t know

.R Refused

Do you still have long-COVID symptoms?

1. Yes

2. No

.K Don’t know

.R Refused

Indicator definitions

These indicators reflect respondents’ self-reported experience. For more information see: All data is self-reported.

Ever had COVID-19 with a positive RAT or PCR test, among all adults (15+ years).

Believed they had COVID-19 but didn’t get a positive test, among all adults (15+ years).

Ever had COVID-19 (confirmed or suspected), among all adults (15+ years).

Ever had long COVID symptoms (ie, symptoms lasting three months or longer that they did not have prior to having COVID-19), among all adults (15+ years).

Ever had long COVID symptoms, among adults (15+ years) who ever had COVID-19.

Currently have long COVID symptoms, among all adults (15+ years).

Currently have long COVID symptoms, among adults (15+ years) who ever had long COVID symptoms.

Use of statistical significance

This page primarily focuses on differences that are statistically significant. However, it is important to note that for smaller population groups, such as Pacific peoples, larger differences between estimates are required to reach statistical significance.

For more information on the survey methodology and questions

Data for the 2024/25 New Zealand Health Survey was collected between July 2024 and July 2025. Questions on COVID-19 and long COVID were asked of adults aged 15 years and over, with a sample size of 9,253 adults.

Please see the Methodology Report 2024/25 for full details on survey design, sampling and weighting, fieldwork procedures, and confidence intervals.

Please see the Questionnaires and Content Guide 2024/25 for the full questionnaire text.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/17/covid-19-and-long-covid-2024-25-new-zealand-health-survey/

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Asia Pacific strengthens its position as a global trade anchor as Singapore ranks #1 worldwide – DHL Global Connectedness Report 2026

Source: Media Outreach

  • Globalization holds firm at a record level while trade flows in Asia expand and diversify
  • Despite geopolitical tensions and rising uncertainty, countries largely maintain trade and investment ties with their traditional partner countries
  • Record-long trade distances, AI-driven commerce, and resilient cross‑border flows paint a surprisingly robust picture of globalization
  • U.S.–China trade fell to 2.0% of global trade, down from 2.7% in 2024

SINGAPORE / HANOI, VIETNAM / NEW YORK, US – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 March 2026 – Globalization remains at a historically high level at 25% in 2025 – despite escalating geopolitical tensions, rising U.S. tariffs, and uncertainty about future trade policies. Equally, the Asia Pacific region features prominently in this year’s DHL Global Connectedness Report, with Singapore ranked #1 globally. A broad swath of regional economies in the Asia Pacific region has also strengthened its position on cross-border flows. The DHL Global Connectedness Report 2026 is produced with New York University’s Stern School of Business. It examines four ‘pillars’ measuring the depth and breadth of trade, capital, information, and people flows.

DHL Global Connectedness Report 2026

Asia Pacific remains a global anchor in cross-border trade

The Asia Pacific region is one of the world’s strongest pillars of global connectedness with several markets continuing to post strong breadth and depth of international ties. In fact, broad-based gains were observed across the Southeast Asia, Northeast Asia, and Oceania regions. The report shows East Asia & Pacific’s share of world trade has climbed from 24% (2001) to 32% (2025), underscoring the region’s long-run momentum. Several other economies in Asia Pacific also advanced sharply in the global connectedness ranking: Malaysia (#16; +13 ranks), Thailand (#27; +7), Korea (#31; +6), Taiwan (#32; +4), and Vietnam (#36; +3).

Intra-Asia trade has also strengthened since 2023. The report’s country profiles show that Asia-Pacific economies are deeply networked within the region, with most major trade and investment flows anchored in Asian partner markets. At the same time, China’s redirected exports to ASEAN markets—up 13% (+USD 79 billion) in 2025 — further cement ASEAN’s position as a fast growing trade corridor.

Singapore leads the country ranking

Singapore has retained the top position among 180 economies – reflecting exceptional depth in trade and capital flows. The country is ranked first on the trade pillar (out of 180 countries) and second on the capital pillar (out of 158 countries). Particularly on trade flows, Singapore ranks first on ‘depth’ (up one place from 2019), with the largest international flows relative to its domestic economy. Additionally, the city-state stands out most for the breadth of its inward foreign domestic investment (FDI) stocks (ranked first worldwide).

“Asia Pacific continues to demonstrate extraordinary resilience and adaptability,” said Ken Lee, CEO of DHL Express Asia Pacific. “The DHL Global Connectedness Report shows that countries across our region – from Singapore to Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and beyond – are deepening their global ties and attracting new trade flows. Even as global patterns shift, Asia remains a central engine of global trade. This is why we continue to invest in and enhance our Asia Pacific network, particularly in the eight fast-growing markets that DHL Group has identified. Our priority is to support businesses to stay connected and diversify their markets.”

AI boom and race to beat tariff hikes fueled trade in 2025

Global trade grew faster in 2025 than in any year since 2017, excluding the volatile Covid-19 period. U.S. importers accelerated shipments early in the year ahead of tariff increases. U.S. imports dropped below prior-year levels, but rising Chinese exports to non-U.S. markets helped sustain global trade volumes.

Trade in AI-related goods surged as countries and companies raced to build AI infrastructure. AI-related products drove 42% of goods trade growth in the first three quarters of 2025, according to WTO figures. In fact, AI hardware and data infrastructure are amplifying Asia Pacific’s trade. Notably, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia’s tech supply chains are benefitting from the surge in demand for AI chips, servers and data center buildouts. In answer, DHL Express has added significant payload capacity for flights out of Hanoi to support Vietnam’s rapidly expanding tech manufacturing sector.

Trade outlook: growth continues, even with higher tariffs

Looking ahead, recent U.S. tariff increases are expected to modestly slow trade growth in 2026 – but not stop it. Global goods trade is projected to expand by an average of 2.6% per year through 2029, in line with the past decade.

One reason trade can keep growing despite U.S. tariff hikes is that most trade does not involve the U.S. In 2025, 13% of imports went to the U.S., and 9% of exports came from the U.S. In addition, many countries are pursuing new trade agreements to secure access to alternative markets, such as the recently minted India-EU free trade agreement.

Information flows face barriers, people flows reach new highs

The report notes that people flows – travel, migration, and student mobility – have fully recovered and reached record highs. This trend is especially pronounced in Asia Pacific, where highly connected hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong continue to attract substantial cross‑border movement.

Many of the region’s most connected markets, such as Hong Kong SAR, Japan, and Korea – remain deeply tied to global data and digital exchanges as these have risen in ranks in the information pillar since 2019. Capital flows remain resilient overall in the region, where there is no broad shift of investment from foreign to domestic markets.

U.S.–China tensions affect only small share of global flows

The report also finds that ties between the world’s two largest economies – the U.S. and China – continue to weaken. However, these ties are surprisingly small in a global perspective. For example, trade between the U.S. and China accounted for 3.6% of world trade at its peak in 2015, before falling to 2.7% in 2024 and to only 2.0% during the first three quarters of 2025. The U.S.–China share of international business investment is even smaller – less than 1% in 2025.

No global split into rival blocs

Even as the U.S. and China decouple, most countries – including those in Asia – continue to engage with their longstanding partners. Over the past decade, only 4–6% of global goods trade, greenfield FDI, and cross-border M&A have shifted away from geopolitical rivals. Of these flows, most have not moved to close allies but to countries with flexible geopolitical positions, such as India and Vietnam. Overall, the world economy remains far from a broad split into rival blocs.

“The politics and policy surrounding globalization are much more volatile than the actual flows between countries,” said Prof. Steven A. Altman, Director of the DHL Initiative on Globalization at NYU Stern’s Center for the Future of Management. “In Asia Pacific, as in the rest of the world, the data shows that cross‑border flows have remained remarkably resilient despite heightened geopolitical tensions. Sound decision‑making in this region requires a calibrated view of how much global business ties are really changing. The risks to globalization are real, but so is the resilience of global flows, and Asia Pacific continues to play a pivotal role in sustaining that connectivity.”

The DHL Global Connectedness Report

Published regularly since 2011, the DHL Global Connectedness Report provides reliable insights on globalization by analyzing 14 types of international trade, capital, information, and people flows. The 2026 edition is based on more than 9 million data points. It ranks the connectedness of 180 countries, accounting for 99.6 percent of global gross domestic product and 99.0 percent of the world’s population. A set of 180 one-page country profiles summarizes each country’s pattern of globalization.

The report was commissioned by DHL and authored by Steven A. Altman and Caroline R. Bastian of New York University Stern School of Business.

Note to editors:

  • The report and further resources are available at dhl.com/gcr.
  • DHL Group’s “GT20 Initiative” refers to 20 markets worldwide that the Group has identified to benefit strongest from Geographic Tailwind. Eight of them are in Asia Pacific including China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Hashtag: #DHL

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/asia-pacific-strengthens-its-position-as-a-global-trade-anchor-as-singapore-ranks-1-worldwide-dhl-global-connectedness-report-2026/

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Outgoing MP Peeni Henare on being Māori, a politician, and why he’s walking away from the Labour Party

Source: Radio New Zealand

Peeni Henare stands in Matangireia at Parliament. RNZ / Lillian Hanly

Outgoing Labour MP Peeni Henare says he is ready to “see the back of this place”, as he prepares to leave both Parliament and the party who gave him an “opportunity” after 12 years.

“You can only try your best, and I believe I’ve done that,” he said in a sitdown interview with RNZ during his final week as a Labour MP, revealing the most difficult times for him were balancing “being Māori” and “being a politician”.

Henare said he had “mixed emotions” during his last days in Parliament, and said it was the “human connections” in the place that made him feel sad this week.

He had connections across the House, enjoying good relationships with members from all parties, saying that was a testament to how he conducted himself politically, “that’s always been my style”.

He also had connections with the security guards, earlier this week he thanked them for leaving kina in his fridge.

“I’ve had a lot of people from all different walks of life, inside and outside of Parliament, talking about how sad they are to see me leave politics, some even hope that I might change my mind,” he said.

Asked whether anyone in the Labour leadership had asked him to change his mind, he responded: “There’s always conversations with the Labour leadership, but my mind’s pretty made up”.

Peeni Henare is congratulated after his valedictory speech. RNZ / Lillian Hanly

The resignation

Henare’s shock resignation was announced at Waitangi, after he confirmed he was not contesting the Tāmaki Makaurau seat.

Following a messy media briefing with Labour leader Chris Hipkins, Henare announced he was calling time on his 12-year Parliamentary career, citing exhaustion and a desire to spend more time focusing on his family and future.

Hipkins, who initially refused to answer questions about the resignation, denied the announcement had been bungled, but it did not stop questions being asked about the circumstances.

At the time, New Zealand First Deputy leader Shane Jones, and a relation of Henare’s, expressed his surprise at the retirement.

He said he wanted to find out what had happened and that the “kumara vine” would inform him.

Ahead of Henare’s valedictory on Wednesday, Jones said he no longer wanted to speculate.

“That was a word said at Waitangi, and the god of wind has blown those words long way into the distance,” Jones said.

Asked if he thought Labour regretted letting Henare go, he said Henare was not the first Māori that Labour “forced out”, having left the party himself in 2014.

New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones expressed surprise when he heard of Henare’s retirement. RNZ / Mark Papalii

‘Maybe I should have been more of a Māori’ – Henare

In Henare’s maiden speech in 2014, he referred to Dr Pita Sharples of Te Pāti Māori, who had not been re-elected, saying “I have taken up the paddle of the vessel that you left behind”.

Asked about this, Henare said he believed every Māori had a bit of Te Pāti Māori in them. He described marching in the Foreshore and Seabed hīkoi in 2004, and more recently the Toitū te Tiriti hīkoi.

“I’m Māori to the core, but I make no bones about it – Labour gave me an opportunity, and one that I was fortunate to have.”

Surprising too perhaps given his family had been tied to the National Party.

“I ultimately chose Labour, and have worked hard for 12 years with them.”

He has held multiple ministerial portfolios, such as ACC, Civil Defence, Whānau Ora, Defence, Forestry, Tourism, Veterans and Youth Development, as well as various roles in opposition.

He was also the only Labour MP to be sent to the Privileges Committee as part of the haka Te Pāti Māori started in the house over the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill.

He was most proud of securing a significant boost of funding for Whānau Ora. In his valedictory speech on Wednesday, he described the establishment of the Māori Health Authority as a “crowning moment”.

Asked if he had any regrets from his time in Parliament, he referred to the Covid-19 pandemic response and questioned whether he had made the right decision at times.

“It was hurtful at that time, those decisions around burial and tikanga Māori and things like that were always quite difficult.”

Another “particularly challenging time” was Ihumātao he said, when he had to “dance on the head of a pin, if you like, as a politician and as a Māori”.

“I walked away from there thinking, maybe I should have been more of a Māori.”

On walking that fine line within the Labour party, he acknowledged it was challenging, however, the feeling of isolation or inability to express “your Māoritanga to its fullest” was a challenge for any Māori MP.

But because of the roles he had held in the past, and also the burden of his whakapapa (ancestry), it meant he would question “is Peeni the Māori today, or is he the politician?”

He did have fond memories of times when he was well supported in the Labour party and able to “progress kaupapa”, so it was a “bit of give and take”.

Peeni Henare (L), then Labour MP for Tamaki Makaurau, listens to speeches at Ihumātao in 2022. RNZ

The Māori vote

Last election, Labour lost six out of the seven Māori seats. He said there was strategising taking place to win them back.

“No doubt about it, we’ve got work to do” he said, on winning the Māori vote.

“My message is always the same for Māori in the Labour Party, don’t rebuild for the election.

“Rebuild with a view towards securing the Māori vote for the next 10 to 20 years.”

He said Willie Jackson, co-chair of the Māori caucus, did a good job of talking about Labour’s key areas of focus this year (jobs, health, homes), while also listening to what Māori wanted to see from a potential Labour government, “he’s a political animal”.

“But be under no illusion, the 2026 election is going to be a tough one.”

Asked whether the turmoil Te Pāti Māori faced last year was the reason Labour was in with a chance in the Māori seats this year, Henare said that was part of it.

He reflected on his success in 2014 being partly because the “tide was going out on Te Pāti Māori” because of their association with the National Party.

Peeni Henare stands in Matangireia at Parliament. RNZ / Lillian Hanly

‘My time was done’ – Henare

Last year, Henare lost for a second time to Te Pāti Māori in a by-election for the Tāmaki Makaurau electorate seat.

He had been honest about how bruising the loss was, and there were questions about whether he would run for the seat again.

He said there were ongoing conversations about how he was feeling and his career, and ultimately the party asked him to consider it all.

“There comes a time where you should call your time on your career and allow others to push the kaupapa forward.

“I decided my time was done.”

He described personal reasons, such as his family, for the decisions, but also that no one’s time in politics was infinite.

Hipkins was asked by RNZ on Tuesday this week whether he had any regrets that Henare was leaving. He said he was “very fond of Peeni”.

“I’m always sad to see any of my colleagues go, and I’ll be sad to see him go.”

Asked if the Labour leadership told Henare there was not a place for him, Hipkins maintained what he had said all along, that it was “Peeni’s decision”.

Chris Hipkins (R) and Peeni Henare, pictured in 2023. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

What’s next?

He had his eyes set on putting his experience, knowledge, connections and talent to work for his iwi, Ngāpuhi.

“Continuing to progress the kaupapa of my people and the wellbeing and interests of my people – that’s a calling that’s always been there for me.”

That could potentially take the form of being a negotiator for the Ngāpuhi treaty settlement, “Without being presumptuous – I think there’s an opportunity.”

On whether the Treaty Negotiation Minister had approached him, Henare said there had been nothing official, “he knows my number, when I leave this place – feel free to give me a call”.

Minister Paul Goldsmith told RNZ he would “have a chat” with Henare.

“I’ve got big challenge to find a way through to a settlement with Ngāpuhi, and I’ve got good Crown negotiators, but there may be a role somewhere in there for Peeni, he’s a real leader.”

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/12/outgoing-mp-peeni-henare-on-being-maori-a-politician-and-why-hes-walking-away-from-the-labour-party/

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Beneficiary numbers soar to 12-year high despite government’s reduction promise

Source: Radio New Zealand

Social development minister Louise Upston. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Beneficiary numbers have soared to a 12-year high, under a government that promised a reduction.

They were the highest both by volume and percentage of the working-age population since at least the 2013 welfare reforms.

Social development minister Louise Upston said in 2024 – less than three months after taking office – that the government was taking action to “curb the surge in welfare dependency” that ocurred under the former Labour government.

But the most recent Ministry of Social Development data revealed that was yet to take hold.

As of December last year, 427,236 people – about the population of Christchurch – were receiving a main benefit.

That was 13.2 percent of the working-age population, the highest recorded since at least 2013, when reforms replaced multiple benefits with three main benefits: Jobseeker, Sole Parent Support and Supported Living Payment.

More than half of beneficiaries – 223,512 people, or 6.9 percent of the working age population – were on the Jobseeker benefit. That was also a record.

Soon after taking power the government set a target of 50,000 fewer people on the Jobseeker benefit by 2030.

So far, there had been an 18 percent jump: from 190,000 in December 2023 to 223,500 in December last year.

The 18 to 24-year-old age group on the Jobseeker benefit had grown the most in that period, rising 32 percent.

Minister blames former Labour government

Upston said the numbers were a result of the coalition inheriting “difficult economic conditions and a tough labour market” from the former Labour government.

“Unemployment has been rising since 2021 and is always one of the last things to improve after a recession,” she said.

“We know there is more work to do to grow the economy, fix the basics and build a welfare system focused on getting more people into work.”

More than 83,500 people came off a main benefit and found work last year, she said.

The government’s initiatives to curb benefit numbers included the traffic light system which was working well to ensure jobseekers were fulfilling their obligations, she said.

In Parliament on Wednesday, Labour’s Willie Jackson grilled Upston about rising Jobseeker numbers.

Upston said Labour’s increased spending during the Covid-19 pandemic drove up inflation, leading to higher unemployment.

“That’s why the forecast has always been due to get worse before it gets better,” she said.

Labour’s social development and employment spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime said the Prime Minister Christopher Luxon needed to take responsibility.

“It’s been more than two years since National took office, their excuses are getting old and shows just how out of touch they are,” she said.

“Christopher Luxon promised to fix the cost of living. He hasn’t just failed – he’s made it worse.”

Labour’s social development and employment spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime. VNP / Phil Smith

High unemployment driving benefit dependency, but set to improve – economist

The rise was largely driven by a weak labour market, said Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen said.

“There has been a larger proportional increase in Jobseeker support benefit requirements compared to all other benefits on average,” he said.

The government had options to intervene but they were not all politically or socially palatable, Olsen said.

That included clamping down access to benefits.

Infometrics principal economist Brad Olsen. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

“Which could well reduce the overall numbers, but would likely leave a number of New Zealanders out in the cold and facing very challenging circumstances at a time when we know that the number of jobs being advertised in the economy are still 25 percent lower than pre-pandemic and the unemployment rate is at a 10-year high.”

The government could also try to create jobs but that was expensive and could lead to higher inflation, said Olsen.

“The government doesn’t have a lot of spare money to all of a sudden magic up a whole bunch of jobs there in the short term without generating other economic challenges in other areas.

“So at the moment, our expectation would more be that the government will look to try and reduce the number of beneficiaries over time as the labour market improves, and we do expect that will happen over the next couple of years.”

Although unemployment was high, there had also been a 0.5 percent expansion in the number of jobs which was the largest in about two and a half years, he said.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/12/beneficiary-numbers-soar-to-12-year-high-despite-governments-reduction-promise/

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National Party politicians rule out leadership bid

Source: Radio New Zealand

Education Minister Erica Stanford has often been tipped as a possible leadership contender. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Education Minister Erica Stanford has been damning in her assessment of last week’s disastrous poll result for National, calling it a “bad week” for the party and for the caucus.

Speculation has been swirling about Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s leadership after the Taxpayers’ Union Curia Poll result put National on 28.4 per cent – the party’s lowest result since Luxon became leader.

Asked on Tuesday whether she was happy with the result, Stanford – often tipped as a possible leadership contender – said: “No, of course not”.

“We’ve got to do a lot better as a party, all of us pull together, we’ve got to respect what voters are telling us,” she said.

In addition to the horror poll, Luxon also struggled to articulate the government’s position on the Iran conflict and flubbed his answers to questions on the same topic at his post-Cabinet press conference last week.

Asked whether it was a bad week for the prime minister, Stanford said the result reflected poorly on the party.

“I would say it’s a bad week for the National Party and our caucus, and we’ve got to do better all of us together, pull together and remember that our focus is on the New Zealand people, and in my case, raising student achievement,” Stanford said.

Any speculation she was vying for the top job was “reporters interviewing their own typewriters”, Stanford said, adding that she supported the prime minister “100 percent”.

On Tuesday afternoon, Stanford ruled out making any bids for the leadership.

“We have a leader, he’s doing a really good job, and I am part of a high-performing team just doing my job, reforming the education system.”

In a busy day in Parliament – when the Covid-19 inquiry report was released, National MP and Minister Shane Reti announced his retirement, and MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi was reinstated to Te Pāti Māori by the High Court – National Party ministers and backbenchers were resolute in their support of the prime minister.

Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka said he had “no intentions” to run for the top job. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Māori Development Minister Tama Potaka said he backed Luxon and looked forward to the coming election campaign.

Asked whether he wanted to be the leader, he repeatedly said he had “no intentions” to run for the top job but also refused to rule out a future bid.

“It’s got nothing to do with me… I’m not here to answer questions about me running for the leadership, because, as you know, I support the prime minister.”

Tim Costley, MP for Ōtaki, said that asking Luxon to step down, should his polling worsen, had never crossed his mind.

“We’ve got a strong caucus. We’ve got 49. We’re looking great.”

Banks Peninsula MP Vanessa Weenink said she was not concerned about her seat, which was one of the most marginal at the last election.

“I’m not worried about my job. I’m not worried about my seat. I’m worried about the country if we have an alternative government.”

Takinini MP Rima Nakhle put her level of support for the prime minister at “123 percent”, while Upper Harbour MP Cameron Brewer said the caucus was unified.

“We respect the guy, we’re tight, we’re disciplined, and you can see that with all our answers in the last 72 hours. You know, we actually just want to get on with the job.”

The prime minister himself continued to brush off concerns about the poll, telling reporters on Tuesday that the party’s caucus meeting would feature normal business, adding the team was “really united, really focused, really driven”.

But Labour leader Chris Hipkins blasted National for getting itself into “one heck of a mess”.

“They promised they were going to fix the economy, they’ve shrunk it. They promised they were going to get Kiwis into work, more Kiwis are unemployed now. They promised they were going to fix government debt, government debt’s gone up. They promised they were going to fix the cost of living, the cost of living’s got harder for New Zealand households.

“Whether it’s Christopher Luxon or one of the other ministers who was involved in all of those decisions leading the National Party, the problem is they haven’t done what they said they were going to do.”

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/10/national-party-politicians-rule-out-leadership-bid/

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COVID-19 Inquiry released

Source: New Zealand Government

The final report of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into COVID-19 has been released today, delivering an independent account of the pandemic response and its lasting impact on New Zealanders, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“New Zealanders lived through one of the most significant global public health and economic events. They made real sacrifices, and this report is an important step in understanding the impact of the decisions that were made and how we can learn from them,” Mr Brown says.

Key findings from the Royal Commission include:

  • Restrictions were initially balanced, then went too far: COVID-19 restrictions were initially balanced and appropriate but extended beyond what public health advice recommended as the response continued.
  • Economic warnings were not heeded: Treasury advised from the outset that pandemic spending should be timely, temporary, and targeted. The $60 billion COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund spanned 821 programmes, around half of which were unrelated to the pandemic. The Commission found that many investments, including shovel-ready projects, did not meet those tests. The spending that followed drove up house prices and the cost of living for New Zealanders.
  • Public debt has left New Zealand exposed: The Royal Commission has made it clear that the debt accumulated during the pandemic has left New Zealand with less flexibility to respond to future economic shocks, and that prudent fiscal management is required to rebuild those economic buffers.
  • Opportunities to do better were missed: Many opportunities to improve economic decision-making were missed throughout the response, with high-level data failing to capture what was happening on the ground for ordinary New Zealanders.
  • Auckland’s lockdown went longer than advice recommended: Auckland was kept in lockdown and separated from the rest of the country for longer than what officials advised was necessary. A former Minister has since acknowledged that the public health benefits of lockdowns did not emphatically outweigh the costs by the end of 2021, despite Auckland and parts of Northland and Waikato being kept in lockdown.
  • Vaccine mandate advice for under-18s was not made sufficiently clear: Former Ministers were informed of advice against applying a two-dose vaccine mandates to 12-17 year olds due to myocarditis risks. The two-dose vaccine mandate remained, which did not align with this advice.

“New Zealanders supported the initial 2020 response. Communities came together and made sacrifices, and it protected New Zealanders’ lives. But the Commission has also found that restrictions continued longer than public health advice recommended, and that the economic costs were not given sufficient weight alongside the health response.

“New Zealanders remember what that period felt like – not being able to visit loved ones in hospital, struggling to get home from overseas, and keeping children home from school for months.

“Aucklanders experienced this more than most, spending more than six months in lockdown, the longest lockdown of any region in the country, separated from family and missing some of life’s most important moments.

“The report also found that the cost of living pressures New Zealanders are still feeling today – and the ongoing lack of social cohesion for some – are part of that story.

“New Zealanders made enormous sacrifices and placed enormous trust in their government. We owe it to them to understand what happened and learn from it.”

The Government is carefully reviewing the Commission’s findings and expects to outline its response to the recommendations by July, ensuring any future decisions balance the health and economic needs of all New Zealanders.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/10/covid-19-inquiry-released/