Author: Press Room

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon today said he was “relaxed” about National MP Andrew Bayly, who recently resigned from his ministerial portfolios, taking two weeks’ leave from Parliament to trek to Mount Everest base camp in Nepal.Bayly stood down from his portfolios last month after admitting he grabbed the arm of a staffer during a discussion he described as “animated”.Scott Simpson took over as Minister for ACC and Commerce and Consumer Affairs, while Bayly remained in his role as MP for Port Waikato.At the Post-Cabinet press conference today, Luxon said: “It was a pretty significant and big decision that he made…

Transport Minister Chris Bishop has announced registrations of interest for the first stage of the Northland Expressway project will open later this week at the NZ Infrastructure Investment Summit.This week’s Infrastructure Investment Summit has been arranged by the Government to showcase its infrastructure pipeline and “exciting growth sectors to companies managing about $6 trillion in capital”, Bishop said. One of the first for investors to consider would be the already well-advanced project, between Warkworth and Te Hana — a 26km-long four-lane road built to expressway standard. The design included an 850m-long twin-bore tunnel in the Dome Valley and three interchanges…

While street crime across the country continues to plague city centres and businesses, one centre has been bucking the trend.Every day, Gisborne Police can be seen out on the streets, carrying out patrols and checking in on local businesses.Tairāwhiti area commander Danny Kirk said his team refocused their priorities midway through last year to focus on community engagement.”That was in line with our organisational priorities, which was a focus on being visible in places where we have a high volume of members of the public present. It was evident to us also that shoplifting was a significant issue in the…

Violence is often drug-related, particularly in Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Germany and France. ADVERTISEMENTA February briefing by the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) has warned that gang violence is increasing across the EU, a phenomenon linked to “escalating competition between rival criminal groups”.One of the most concerning trends is the recruitment of minors into organised crime and terrorism groups, which recently prompted countries like Sweden to introduce legislation to wiretap children under the age of 15, in an effort to block a wave in bombings – at least 36 since the beginning of 2025.According to the latest Eurostat data, 10% of…

Some tabloids have stoked fears that the EU will soon ban coffee after the European Commission allegedly labelled caffeine dangerous for human consumption. ADVERTISEMENTNews reports and viral social posts are claiming that the EU has labelled coffee as dangerous for humans.A headline from opinion-orientated news channel GB News accuses “meddling Brussels bureaucrats” of declaring coffee unsafe, while The Telegraph has led with the line that the EU has labelled coffee as dangerous because caffeine is “harmful to humans if swallowed”, stoking fears of a coffee-ban around the bloc.Yet another article from NDTV World says that the EU has banned caffeine…

A Department of Conservation (DOC) permit issued to NZTA Waka Kotahi allowing it to kill protected species – including kiwi and long-tailed bats – at the Mt Messenger bypass site in Taranaki has been ruled unlawful.The High Court found the permission granted under Section 53 of the Wildlife Act was at odds with the law because the killing would occur during the construction of a road.The Environmental Law Initiative sought the judicial review arguing the purpose Wildlife Act was to keep protected species from harm – not allow them to be killed.Director of research and legal Dr Matt Hall said…

In an exclusive interview with Euronews, Swedish migration minister Johan Forssell anticipated innovative ideas for the upcoming EU legislation for migrant returns that will be presented on Tuesday, 11 March, in Strasbourg. ADVERTISEMENTInnovative solutions are anticipated in upcoming EU legislation on migrant returns, Swedish migration minister Johan Forssell tells Radio Schuman in an exclusive interview featured for Radio Schuman today.”Something needs to be done and we are looking forward to the new return legislation, of course, but also trying to explore these new innovative solutions. We have been discussing them for many years now, but now is really the time…

The country’s biggest bank is again defending its massive profits in the face of parliamentary scrutiny, saying it reflects the size of the business. New Zealand’s major banks fronted MPs today, as the Parliamentary inquiry into banking competition continues. ANZ reported a full-year profit of almost $2.1 billion last year and chief executive Antonia Watson said she understood the perceptions around its large profit. “Our profitability is around about our cost of capital, and I think it’s a very fair profit, but I can absolutely see why people think that’s a big number.” Watson believed having large banks in the…

Two Auckland landlords have been ordered to pay a combined $25,900 in exemplary damages and compensation on behalf of two tenants who were unlawfully evicted after complaining about the state of their rentals.Investigators from MBIE’s Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team said the properties were “some of the worst they have ever seen”.An investigation was launched into the two Mangere East units after receiving complaints about sewerage running through the properties and no hot water.The exterior of one of the units. (Source: Supplied)Investigators identified multiple issues with the units, including sewerage and electrical problems, a lack of working smoke alarms, a…

Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to the United States later this week to meet members of the Trump Administration, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, discuss world affairs and continue to build New Zealand’s ties with the US.”The United States is one of New Zealand’s closest and most important partners,” Peters said.”This visit provides a chance for the New Zealand Government to engage directly with the Trump Administration in Washington on our mutually beneficial bilateral relationship.”Also on the agenda during his time in New York and Washington DC were meetings with other US political contacts and senior representatives of…