Treaty principles bill hearings, day three: The Justice Committee works from home

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has accused Labour of "outright lies" regarding claims about changes to the pay equity regime, calling it a shame that they resorted to misinformation. In response, Labour leader Chris Hipkins denied scaremongering and countered that the Government has misled New Zealanders about pay equity issues over the past year. The controversy revolves around Labour's allegations that the Government's recent legislation, which raised the threshold for pay equity claims, makes it harder...

New Zealand is set to reach a significant economic milestone in 2028 when the Government plans to make its first-ever withdrawal from the NZ Super Fund, as announced by Finance Minister Nicola Willis in a pre-Budget speech. This withdrawal, mandated by the Fund's governing legislation, will be $32 million and is a result of economic changes that brought the forecasted date forward from 2033. Following this initial withdrawal, there will be fluctuations between withdrawals and...

A young child was hospitalized due to health issues linked to poor conditions in a damp Kāinga Ora property, which ultimately was deemed unfit for tenancy. The child’s mother had consistently raised concerns, and the family’s GP even requested the organization relocate them. Following a ruling by the Tenancy Tribunal, Kāinga Ora has apologized and has been ordered to compensate the mother for emotional harm and losses, acknowledging their failure to maintain the property contributed...

Stocks experienced a rally on Monday following "substantial" trade talks between Chinese and US officials, which resulted in a temporary reduction of tariffs for 90 days. This development has sparked optimism that the two nations may de-escalate their ongoing trade conflict, which has caused significant volatility in global markets since the imposition of hefty tariffs by President Trump in April. The recent negotiations in Geneva have shown signs of progress, alleviating fears of a potential...

The second most powerful police officer in the country, Jevon McSkimming, has resigned following allegations of pornographic material found on his work computer. He had been suspended on full pay since December during a criminal investigation by the police and the Independent Police Conduct Authority related to separate allegations. Police Minister Mark Mitchell announced McSkimming's resignation, which occurred before he could potentially be removed from his position. Full Article

SummaryA woman, whose identity is suppressed, allegedly sent messages before the fatal shooting of Rau Tongia in Karori, Wellington, in 2020, stating “kill him” and “this n***** needs to go permanently.” The Crown argues that these messages implicate her as a party to the murder, while the woman denies the charge, claiming she cannot recall sending the messages or that they were taken seriously. Her lawyer contends that the messages are irrelevant to the case...