Author: Press Room

Associate Finance Minister David Seymour has announced the Government’s plan to make it easier for New Zealand businesses to receive international investment in a reform of the Overseas Investment Act.Speaking from the Ikea construction site at Auckland’s Sylvia Park, Seymour said New Zealand was one of the hardest countries in the developed world for people to invest in business and that our productivity growth was “woeful”.”The package will speed up decisions and provide more confidence to investors, while protecting our national interests.”He said overseas investment could better support economic growth because workers with better tools and technologies were “more productive…

Renewed attempts are underway to finally find alternative electricity sources for our third largest island.For decades, many Stewart Island / Rakiura locals have relied heavily on large council-run diesel generators for power.While the rural settlement of Oban has come a long way from individual home generators of the past, costs are sky high.The isolated paradise, just a flight or ferry away from the bottom of the South Island, has thousands of tourists visit every year but around 120 ratepayers.Time and time again, conversations about the power prices spark.”It has gone up from 41 [cents per kilowatt hour] about 10 years…

Sean Baker’s Anora won best film, best director and best actor for Mikey Madison at the Independent Spirit Awards today in what could be a preview of next Monday’s Oscars: The film about a Brooklyn sex worker and her whirlwind affair with a Russian oligarch’s son has emerged in recent weeks as an awards season front-runner.The Spirit Awards, held in a beachside tent in Santa Monica, California, is the shaggier, more irreverent sister to the Academy Awards, celebrating the best in independent film and television.Host Aidy Bryant called it “Hollywood’s third or fourth biggest night”.In accepting the directing prize, Baker…

A man is missing after his car was found in a ditch in Hikumutu, near Tongariro National Park. Geoffrey Kelly was not in his vehicle when it was discovered on Makokomiko Rd at 10.30am yesterday. “It is believed he may have walked to get assistance and become disoriented, has taken shelter somewhere, or has gotten a lift from a passerby,” a police spokesperson said. He was last seen Thursday night wearing grey knee-length shorts, jandals, a tan sweatshirt and glasses. Anyone with any information was asked to call 105 and quote reference number P061689135.

The 88-year-old pope received high flows of oxygen and blood transfusions in hospital as he battles a complex lung infection. ADVERTISEMENTThe Vatican says Pope Francis was in critical condition on Saturday after he suffered a prolonged asthmatic respiratory crisis while being treated for pneumonia and a complex lung infection, the Vatican says.In a statement, they said the pontiff’s “is not out of danger” as his condition continues to deteriorate. It’s the first time “critical” had been used in a written statement to describe Francis’ condition since his hospitalisation on 14 February.“Pope Francis experienced an asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity,…

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has this afternoon witnessed live rounds being fired from a Chinese warship in the Tasman Sea.Flights had to be diverted yesterday after commercial pilots were warned to avoid airspace between New Zealand and Australia after three Chinese vessels carried out drills in international waters around 340 nautical miles south-east of Sydney.”We are aware of reporting from the New Zealand Defence Force that the Chinese naval Task Group has advised of a second window for live firing activity, on Saturday afternoon New Zealand time,” the office of Defence Minister Judith Collins confirmed today in a…

Investigations have revealed around a quarter of police staff who accessed the national database for information about Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming’s death did not have legitimate reasons to do so.An internal investigation was launched a month ago after police staff were found to be searching the main database for details about Fleming’s death.Police Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura sent a memo to staff in January, saying it was “abundantly clear” some staff were misusing the National Intelligence Application (NIA), which was “a serious breach of the New Zealand Police Code of Conduct”.”Alarmingly, and disrespectfully, we have found people randomly checking the…

Long-time kapa haka performer Louise ‘Nuku’ Kingi is hanging up her piupiu as a record-setting figure who has performed at every national kapa haka festival since 1972.Affectionately known as Aunty Nuku by her whānau, Kingi has performed at every single event since its inception. This year she announced her retirement.“[I’m] getting a bit slow these days, and certainly nothing wrong with the korokoro, but, however, the choreography that groups do nowadays – oh, you’re flipping over the stage or whatever – running! “And that certainly isn’t me anymore!”Although she did audition for her mainstay champion haka group, Waihīrere, one last…

One of New Zealand’s most successful tech entrepreneurs, Rowan Simpson, says companies with diverse staff and boards perform better.During an interview with Q+A, the former Trade Me software developer said diversity was so important, it’s often part of performance metrics. His views contrast starkly with many mainstream Republicans in the US and billionaire ally of president Donald Trump, Elon Musk. In January, Trump banned so-called DEI or diversity, equity and inclusion programmes across the federal government.Simpson was one of the first employees at TradeMe’s inception in 1999. He became a multi-millionaire in 2006 when TradeMe sold to Fairfax for $750…

The government has announced plans to reform the Overseas Investment Act “and make it easier for New Zealand businesses to receive new investment, grow and pay higher wages”. Associate Finance Minister David Seymour today said New Zealand had “woeful” productivity growth and was “one of the hardest countries in the developed world for overseas people to invest in businesses”. “Those two facts are closely linked. We are introducing reforms to improve New Zealand’s overseas investment laws. The package will speed up decisions and provide more confidence to investors, while protecting our national interests. “Overseas investment can support economic growth because…