Author: Press Room

The Government has gone on the offensive ahead of a planned mega-strike expected to involve around 100,000 workers this Thursday, with Public Service Minister Judith Collins publishing an open letter to New Zealanders.The multi-sector strike will see teachers, nurses, and other public sector workers walk off the job, demanding better pay, safer staffing levels, and improved working conditions.Collins, the Public Service Minister, issued a media release earlier this morning, setting the Government’s tone for the week ahead, decrying “unfair and unwarranted” action and saying the strikes appeared to be “politically motivated by the unions”.”To the patients, students and families affected…

Energy Minister Simon Watts cannot say how much cheaper energy prices will be under the Government’s electricity market reforms, despite claiming they will create a real “downward pressure” on prices.Multiple pulp and paper mills have closed since the coalition came to power, citing high energy costs, leading to loud calls for action on electricity prices.When asked on Q+A how much cheaper power would be next winter under the changes announced by the Government earlier this month, Watts said: “I don’t have a number.”He added: “The reality is this issue wasn’t created overnight. This has been a decade-long problem that has…

By Gyles Beckford of RNZ Inflation is expected to hit a 15-month high, as strong food prices, rates, power and transport costs continue to squeeze household budgets. Consumer prices for the three months ended September are expected to have risen about 1.0 percent, pushing the annual rate to 3.0 percent from 2.7 percent in June. ANZ senior economist Miles Workman has a top-of-the-range forecast of a 1.1 percent quarterly rise and 3.1 percent annual rate, which he said would reflect familiar drivers. “The housing and household utilities group is expected to contribute… with local council rates and electricity adding.. fruit…

It’s estimated more than 4000 18 and 19-year-olds will soon be ineligible for the Jobseeker benefit. This follows the government’s announcement that parents earning more than $65,529 are expected to support their children if they can’t find work. The move is intended to incentivise young people to get a job and avoid the welfare “trap”, Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says. “With recent modelling suggesting that people under the age of 25 on Jobseeker Support will spend an average of 18 or more years on a benefit over their lifetimes,” she adds. But where does this leave young…

After a traumatic brain injury put him in a coma and blinded him in one eye, Byron Smith had managed to get his life back on track. But a cancer diagnosis eight weeks ago has now left him facing a major new obstacle.The 41-year-old has always lived life to its fullest. An avid runner and surfer, he has smashed through numerous obstacles, undergoing nine surgeries and bouncing back from a deep coma after a severe brain injury. Eight weeks ago, he was diagnosed with PMP cancer (Pseudomyxoma Peritonei), a rare and devastating disease that affects one in 1 million people…

A Tauranga waterfront neighbourhood resident plagued by burnouts and public drug use says new safety changes will have a positive impact.The issues were ruining Harbour Dr in Ōtūmoetai, local homeowner Matt McHardy said.McHardy said drug use and dealing happened in cars parked on the grass verge across from homes, at all times of day.Up to six cars would park up and pass what he believed were drugs between the vehicles, he said.He said there were also issues with cars speeding and doing skids and burnouts on the road and grass berm.”This is a pattern of behaviour that’s been happening up…

Newly released documents lay bare the Government’s alarm and “dismay”, after being blindsided by the United States’ sudden tariff hike on New Zealand exports in August.That’s despite Trade Minister Todd McClay’s public insistence at the time that the new 15% rate was “not surprising” and did not come as a blindside.Correspondence, released to RNZ under the Official Information Act, shows a scramble inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and Beehive to respond to the “deeply disappointing development”.Trump drops F-bomb when questioned by White House reporter – watch on TVNZ+Officials described the rate increase as an “unwelcome surprise”,…

The patron of a unit at Auckland’s Starship Hospital that treats abused children says it is making a fresh start.Staff alleged bullying at the Te Puaruruhau unit, and one worker who quit said the ructions eroded the service for children.Dame Naida Glavish said she was aware of the past problems but was in regular meetings as the unit rebuilds.”It’s working extremely well right now and I have no concerns whatsover,” she told RNZ.Iwi Ngāti Whātua, that partners with Starship, would mark the fresh start with a cleansing karakia at the unit soon.”The energy fields, the mauri, that are in the…

Passengers at Auckland Airport were forced to evacuate this morning after a fire alarm, leading to long queues. Fire and Emergency New Zealand said it received an alarm activation from the domestic terminal, which was found to be caused by cooking at 7.43am. Two firetrucks, along with Auckland Airport Emergency Services, responded.Crowds cleared out of the terminal and gathered outside as crews assessed the scene. FENZ confirmed it was a false alarm, and the terminal had since been reopened. A 1News staffer who was at the airport at the time said queues for security screening stretched “basically the length of…

A school principal says one of his classes had numbers cut by half after a gastroenteritis outbreak at a Canterbury campground.Six children were hospitalised, 10 people were sick, and 37 others were probably sick from E.coli contaminated water at Hanmer Springs Forest Camp last month.Water regulator Taumata Arowai has described the E.coli contamination as “the worst case scenario” and said the camp’s drinking water supply was the likely source of the illness.St Martin’s principal Andrew Mouat said around 120 year five and six students attended camp in the second to last week of last term.The school noticed more children than…