Author: Press Room

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins says he is “adamant” former police commissioner Andrew Coster did not brief him about an affair Jevon McSkimming had prior to his promotion to deputy police commissioner.In an interview with TVNZ’s Q+A with Jack Tame which aired on Sunday, Coster claimed he told Hipkins about the affair in July 2022 while Hipkins was Police Minister.”I told him that Jevon had told me that he had an affair,” Coster said. “That it was with a much younger woman that went badly wrong, and that email allegations were now flying as a result of it.”While he could…

Nicola Willis has challenged former National Party Finance Minister Ruth Richardson to debate the country’s books at Parliament.The Taxpayers’ Union is poised to launch a “pressure campaign” targeting Willis in an effort to convince her to cut spending and reduce debt.Heading into National’s caucus meeting on Tuesday morning, Willis said it was clear the campaign was being driven by Richardson, who is chair of the Taxpayers’ Union.”My message for Ruth Richardson is a very clear one, come and debate me face to face. Come out of the shadows. I will argue toe for toe on the prescription that our government…

The Government has unveiled its mega-overhaul of New Zealand’s planning system in a radical but long-awaited shift, which it hopes will become active in 2029.The proposed sweeping new rules will affect the way all buildings and infrastructure are planned, and mean big changes for anyone doing work needing a consent.Up to 22,000 or 46% of consent and permit applications could be eliminated each year as a result of the change, the Government has claimed. Replacing the Resource Management Act (RMA) will be one of the most significant packages of reform carried out by the current National-led coalition government. As one…

Two people have died in a house fire which broke out in Foxton Beach today, police have confirmed. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) spokesperson said crews were called to a house fire at Foxton Beach — which is about 5km west of Foxton and 90 minutes north of Wellington — shortly after 5am.They said on arrival, the incident was escalated to a second alarm and six trucks from Foxton Beach, Foxton, Himatangi Beach, Waitārere Beach, Levin, and Shannon attended. In an update this afternoon, Manawatu Area Commander Ross Grantham said the bodies of two people who were earlier…

A Dunedin recruitment agency has been put into liquidation owing more than $500,000 amid “brutal” conditions in the job market. DKW Personnel (Dunedin) Ltd ceased trading and was placed into liquidation in May. The liquidator’s six-monthly report, made public last week, estimated the total shortfall to creditors at $540,942. A preferential claim was received from the Inland Revenue Department for $340,658. “It [is] unlikely that there will be sufficient funds available in the liquidation from which a dividend to unsecured creditors can be paid. However, investigations are still ongoing,” liquidator Robin Crimp, of RAC Insolvency Ltd, said. The company’s sole…

Insurance firm Tower has been ordered to pay a $7 million penalty after overcharging more than 61,000 customers by $11 million through misleading multi-policy discount claims.The High Court in Auckland handed down the penalty after the general insurer admitted breaching the Financial Markets Conduct Act by misleading customers in invoices about its multi-policy discount offer from September 2016 until February 2025.The Financial Markets Authority brought civil proceedings against Tower Limited after the company self-reported the issue in March 2021.Tower admitted to making false or misleading representations in both invoices and marketing material related to multi-policy discounts, affecting approximately 90,200 policies…

A man who allegedly attacked two people on an Auckland bus last night has been arrested, police say. One man died and a second man was seriously injured after being attacked by the same person in two separate incidents aboard a bus in the east of the city. The incidents occurred on the number 76 bus travelling from Glen Innes towards Ōrakei around 8pm.“We believe we have identified the man that is responsible,” Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said earlier this afternoon.“He is wanted to arrest for murder and causing grievous bodily harm. [He] should be considered dangerous and should not…

New LinkedIn data shared with Europe in Motion shows that the number of members adding that title to their profile is booming across Europe: +85% in the Netherlands, +69% in the UK, +68% in Spain, +61% in Germany and +49% in France. At least half of British, German and French small business entrepreneurs say AI is making it easier to break into the market, providing them with capabilities that were once only achievable with large budgets and specialist teams. Eurostat seems to back this trend: the number of micro-enterprises (companies with fewer than 10 employees) has been steadily growing in…

A 38% stake in Taieri Forests Ltd and 100% of the assets of Otago Estate Ltd have been sold to APG Asset Management — Europe’s largest pension investor. Yesterday, New Forests, a global investment manager of nature-based real assets and natural capital strategies, announced its $A700 million ($NZ802.6m) Australia New Zealand Forest Fund 2 had signed agreements for the final asset dispositions with the sale of the two Otago forestry assets. The price was withheld. Taieri Forests Ltd is one of the largest producers of softwood logs in the region, with 24,700ha of plantable area comprising 92% radiata pine and…

A 26-year-old man has died after drowning at an Auckland beach on Monday night. Police were called to Kariotahi Beach around 7.10pm to reports of two men “experiencing difficulties in the water and struggling to return to shore”. Surf Life Saving’s Search and Rescue team responded with one rescue watercraft and two inflatable rescue boats.Inspector Jared Pirret said the police Eagle helicopter was in attendance at the scene. “One of the men was returned to shore safely by lifeguards with Eagle locating the second man in the water,” Pirret said. “Sadly, the man was unable to be revived back on…