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Unions acuse Peters of being ‘wilfully misleading’ over Employment Relations Amendment Bill

Source: Radio New Zealand

PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons (left) and New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters. RNZ

Winston Peters’ public spat with two unions has gone up a notch, with the PSA and Workers First now writing to the Prime Minister.

Secretaries from both unions say the New Zealand First leader is being “wilfully misleading” and it was “unequivocably” untrue they hadn’t engaged with the party earlier.

They want Peters investigated for breaching the cabinet manual.

Peters responded on social media, saying the Unions had been “whinging” about being “called out” and then throwing an “unhinged tantrum,” criticising the unions for being out of touch with ordinary workers.

He included a screenshot of an email sent by the unions the day before the Employment Relations Amendment Bill was set to be debated at committee stage, highlighting his criticism from last week that “you don’t alert someone within 24 hours after these things have been going for months what your concerns are.”

It comes after both New Zealand First and the unions publicly attacked each other over the Employment Relations Bill, which passed last week.

Peters said he would have been able to stop the law removing the right for contractors to challenge their employment status if the unions had come to him earlier.

The Unions wrote to Christopher Luxon on Sunday, outlining their view that Peters was in breach of the cabinet manual by making, and then defending, statements that were “wilfully misleading.”

Those comments were the claim from Peters last week that he could have changed the law, and that New Zealand First was only alerted to unions’ concerns within 24 hours of the Bill going through the Committee stage in the House.

“This is unequivocably and demonstrably untrue,” the unions wrote, outlining again the series of meetings and interactions that had taken place between representatives for both the unions and New Zealand First, which RNZ reported last week.

Those engagements included at least 8 meetings between New Zealand First and Workers First union to discuss the Bill, the letter stated.

Beyond that, PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons had multiple meetings with New Zealand First representatives too, including with MP Mark Patterson

“Mr Patterson asked for possible amendments to take the harsh edges off the proposed legislation so on 10 February 2026 we sent him some suggested amendments New Zealand First could adopt,” in reference to the email sent the day before committee stage.

However, the unions had “engaged extensively with New Zealand First about the Employment Relations Amendment Bill, some months and years before Parliament considered the legislation” the letter stated.

Their concern was that Peters had “breached the expectations around “Conduct of Ministers” set out in paragraph 2.56 of the Cabinet Manual 2023:

In all of these roles [i.e., as per para 2.56, not only when acting in “in a ministerial capacity”, but also when acting “in a political capacity” or “in a personal capacity”] and at all times, Ministers are expected to act lawfully and behave in a way that upholds, and is seen to uphold, the highest ethical and behavioural standards. This includes exercising a professional approach and good judgement in their interactions with the public, staff, and officials, and in all their communications, personal and professional. Ultimately, all Ministers are accountable to the Prime Minister for their behaviour.

The unions asked Luxon to consider the matters and investigate their concerns.

On Monday, Peters posted on social media in response, including a screenshot of the email sent the day before the Bill was due at Committee Stage. He indicated all the unions were included in the email.

“Apparently both the PSA Union and Workers First Union have written to the Speaker whinging that I called them out for them demanding NZFirst make changes to the Employment Relations Bill just 24-hours before the committee stage debate in the House – and then them throwing an unhinged tantrum when they didn’t get their way,” Peters wrote.

A spokesperson for the PSA confirmed they had not written to the Speaker, only the Prime Minister.

Peter said the PSA and Workers First had made it clear the workers unions in the country “no longer represent ordinary, hard working blue-collar kiwis like they once did – they are now controlled by leftwing political agendas and arrogant elitist Labour Party sycophants with soft hands who live in leafy suburbs.”

“When the leaders of these unions are Labour Party candidates, sitting on Labour Party policy committees, run third party campaigns for the Labour Party in elections, and affiliated unions get a vote for the Labour Party leader, New Zealanders need to be asking what their true motivations are and who they truly work for.”

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister told RNZ the issue was a specific disagreement between two parties.

“The Prime Minister is satisfied that it is not a Cabinet Manual matter.”

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‘Imaginary income’ lands family $4000 Working for Families bill

Source: Radio New Zealand

A New Zealander who has left for Australia says he’s been hit hard by Inland Revenue “annualising” his income to claw back Working for Families credits.

Kenneth, who wanted to be identified only by his first name, said he moved with his family from Auckland to Australia in January last year.

“My total New Zealand earnings for that tax year were just under $84,000. However, the IRD has annualised my income, claiming I should be treated as if I earned closer to $110,000.

“Because of this imaginary higher income, they are demanding we pay back $4000 in Working for Families tax credits-money my wife used to keep us afloat while caring for our youngest in one of the most expensive cities in the world.”

He said a number of one-off payments were being treated as though they were daily wages, including $7213 in final holiday pay and $7027 in back pay from a two-year salary negotiation.

“When we challenged this, staff explained that if someone earned $20,000 in one month and nothing for the rest of the year, the IRD would treat them as if they earned $240,000. It is a rigid, ‘computer says no’ approach that is leaving families who are already struggling with a massive bill on their way out the door.

“I believe many other Kiwis are being “ripped off” by this same rule without realizing the math is flawed.”

Tax expert Terry Baucher said the reason that Inland Revenue took this approach was out of concern that otherwise people who left early in a tax year could end up paying less tax than they would otherwise be meant to.

He said the issue was also clearly connected to the abatement level, at which Working for Families credits are removed.

When households earn more than $42,700 a year, their Working for Families entitlements are cut at a rate of 27 percent.

“The threshold is so low, and everything above that is abated at 27c on the dollar. So we have an extremely low threshold, it’s now below the minimum wage. Someone getting 40 hours of minimum wage is now above that. So that’s the real kicker. The extra $26,000 of income just exacerbates that.”

He said that threshold had not been increased since 2018 and when the abatement rate was first introduced it was only 20 cents in the dollar.

Working for Families debt has been highlighted as a problem for some time. There are hundreds of millions of dollars owing, often because people earned more than was expected in a year and received too much Working for Families support. RNZ earlier reported on a case where a couple were overpaid $20,000 and having to pay it back at a rate of $350 a fortnight. (https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/business/562593/couple-owes-20-000-working-for-families-debt-through-no-fault-of-our-own)

The Government last year announced a review of Working for Families intended to avoid households getting into debt. Options being considered included more frequent reporting of income to ensure that people were not overpaid.

In the 2022 year, only 24 percent of households receiving weekly or fortnightly payments who were squared up by IRD had received the right amount of Working for Families credits.

Baucher said Inland Revenue could make use of tax codes to claw back overpayments.

“Instead of requiring people to suddenly front up with $4000 at a time, it’s probably easier for them to say, ‘ okay, we’re going to adjust your PAYE code and take a bit extra to claw that back’. It would be for those families far more manageable … but to me the review’s window dressing, to be frank.

“The whole question around abatements and thresholds, and the amounts of being paid just needs complete rethink, in my view.”

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Emergency specialist says only law changes will reduce dog injury statistics

Source: Radio New Zealand

A dog runs freely on a roadside. RNZ

The patterns are clear for Dr Natasha Duncan-Sutherland to see.

Dog injury statistics are on the up, and the emergency specialist at Te Toka Tumai / Auckland City Hospital said that would not be fixed without urgent action.

“So if you see a certain number of dog-related injuries or dog bite injuries within a certain region, you can be pretty sure that without any further proper changes, that those are going to happen again the next year,” she said.

“And I think that’s really devastating.”

The next round of statistics would be in the middle of the year in June or July.

“And I am not looking forward to having to look at those next statistics,” Duncan-Sutherland said.

“I don’t look forward to having to look at those statistics again and seeing the same pattern happening all over again the following year with no changes being made.”

Duncan-Sutherland offered her “deepest sympathies” to the victims and families of recent dog attacks.

She had spent years researching the problem.

A decade’s worth of figures showed what had been done so far, including non-legislative strategies, was not working, she said.

“The Dog Control Act was introduced at one point, but things have continued to get worse and particularly over the last few years, we’ve been really trying to say this needs to happen and it hasn’t happened, and I think it’s devastating that has resulted in fatalities,” she said.

“And I think it’s devastating that the problem continues to happen and that those changes haven’t happened fast enough.”

Emergency services at the scene of a fatal dog attack in Northland last week. RNZ

Duncan-Sutherland said what there did need to be was an urgent review of the Dog Control Act with mandatory notification of all dog-related injuries.

She said there should also be mandatory de-sexing of all dogs by six months of age or within 28 days of an owner taking possession, unless owned by a registered breeder or when exempt on veterinary grounds.

Then, Duncan-Sutherland said there needed to be greater powers for local councils and animal control officers as well as minimum fencing standards.

She also called for infringement notices for roaming dogs or attacks on people, particularly children.

What had not lowered the figures, she said, were non-legislative strategies over several years that had included widespread education.

“Despite all of those non-legislative strategies that we’ve implemented over the last five to six years, ACC statistics show us that those changes have not been effective.”

Those figures, she said, showed the breadth and seriousness of the issue.

In 2024 to 2025, there were 29,220 dog-related injuries with nearly half of them dog bite injuries.

Adults were most often hurt on their limbs, but Duncan-Sutherland said children – because of their size – were most often hurt on their face, head or neck.

Rates of injury had been increasing steadily over time, she said.

“And so we really need to look at doing something differently.”

Local Government Minister Simon Watts. RNZ / Mark Papalii

There were growing calls before the recent serious attacks for the decades-old Dog Control Act to be overhauled.

But Local Government Minister Simon Watts said then there was no time to do that before the election, and he would not commit to changes if National returned to power.

He said he was focused on options that did not need law changes.

On Monday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the government was open to intervening but councils could be tougher and enforce the powers they already had.

“We’re very happy to take further action and to support councils in cracking down on this,” he told RNZ.

Duncan-Sutherland said a systematic review had shown legislation, especially laws that reduced the dog population, were the most effective strategies.

“It is frustrating that over the last sort of three years we have been saying that this legislative change needs to happen because we have known about this problem for a long time, for around sort of nearly 10 years, really, we have known that this existed,” she said.

“In fact, 40 years ago, there were people who were doctors who were saying, ‘hey, this is an issue in New Zealand’.”

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Why childcare costs could be set to rise

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

Some parents returning to work are facing childcare bills of $15,000 or $20,000 a year, and the industry is warning bills could rise.

Stephanie Pow, founder of Crayon, which helps employers with staff wellbeing, particularly around support for parents, said the cost of childcare and early childhood education was a big pressure point for a lot of families.

“It’s equivalent almost to private school fees. A lot of them are parents who would not otherwise be putting their kids in private school. And that’s per child, so if you have twins or you have two or more young children, it multiplies from there. When you look at the OED data, New Zealand is one of the least affordable countries in the world for childcare as a percentage of income.”

She said two parents earning full-time average wages in New Zealand with two children in full-time daycare would spend more than a third of their income just on childcare.

Data from the Household Economic Survey shows that the average cost of early childhood education has risen from $25.71 a week in 2007 to $85.18 in 2013, $95.45 in 2019 and $90.62 in 2023.

Between the March 2025 quarter and December 2025, early childhood education costs increased by 2.5 percent.

Family Boost payments took effect in July 2024, which contributed costs falling 22.8 percent through the same period a year earlier.

Family Boost covers 40 percent of a household’s childcare cost, up to $1560 for households earning up to $35,000 a quarter.

Households with income between $35,000 and $57,286 a quarter an claim either 40 percent of their ECE fees or the maximum $1560 minus 7c for every dollar earned over $35,000 – whichever is less.

Centres are also funded through the 20 Hours ECE scheme, which provides a subsidy for up to 20 hours a week of childcare, at six hours a day. Some centres offer 30 hours using other subsidies.

Costs vary

The Office of Early Childhood Education, an advisory body for the sector, said home-based education fees could range from $5 an hour to $12 or more.

Playcentres were the most affordable. Kindergartens received more money under the 20 hours scheme and could charge as little as $3 per hour for care beyond that, it said.

Most other centres charged $5 to $8 an hour for children not receiving 20 hours funding.

Amanda White, a researcher at the NZ Council for Education REsearch, said the cost could differ a lot.

“Sadly this variation does exist, and can be very costly for some parents and whānau. High quality ECE should be a public good for all children to access. A higher cost does not in any way reflect the quality of education children receive in a particular centre – there is no evidence that private centres offer better education/care than non-profit ECEs like community-based and kindergartens.

“Teacher qualifications, teacher-child ratios and group size are critical factors in terms of ECE quality.”

Fee warning

But the Early Childhood Council, which represents operators, said if changes were not made, the costs were likely to increase, or more centres would close.

It said 443 closed between March 2022 and July 2025 as pay parity requirements and “sustained underfunding” affected the sector.

The Government established a Ministerial Advisory Group in June to review funding for early learning. A paper as part of the review noted that the intention of the 20 hours scheme was for regular reviews to adjust funding to reflect increases in the cost of providing care.

“Many EE service providers say that the funding received for the 20 hours free does not cover the cost of delivering the service. While this may be correct, it is largely anecdotal.”

Services can require kids to attend more than 20 hours and charge for the additional hours, as well as asking for top-up payments.

Early Childhood Council chief executive Simon Laube said since 2019 there had been an 11.5 percent gap between the cost adjustments of the subsidy and inflation.

“We’re saying to the government that they need to, to try and just keep the lights on, put a bit more money into the system.

“If they don’t put in a significant cost adjustment this budget it’s going to lead to either parents having to pick up some of the rising costs through increased fees or more providers are going to fail.

“Our view is yes you can always afford to lose a few centres, overall there are thousands of centres in New Zealand… but the trend has kind of turned and we are losing more centres than we are opening… it’s not really in the interests of parents to lose these options.”

He said because centres were funded on a demand basis, they were sensitive to things like changes in the job market that could mean more parents staying home.

“If you’re putting up your fees, anyone who can do that should have already done that… so now you’re in the real crunchy period where every time you put up fees you’re going to lose enrolments.

“Every time you do it you’re just going to trigger a demand change because they don’t have the ability to pay.”

He said the funding review needed to consider centres’ ability to pay higher salaries. “The Government funding doesn’t actually try to keep up, it’s just set at a certain rate and it never increases. Whereas the obligation we’ve got is that every single teacher moves up an increment every year. Some of those increments are 7 percent between steps once you’re on the scheme.. there’s a real pressure on providers to increase fees just so they can retain their teachers.”

He said the government’s review was a good opportunity to address the problems and find a solution. “But solutions take time and changes to the funding system will take years to design and implement… I can’t just go ‘oh you know, it’ll be okay in the future’. Providers today need a bit of help just to keep the lights on.”

Some centres are making the numbers work, however. It was reported in 2024 that childcare cahrity Best Start made a profit of $32 million in 2023.

Occupany questions

Pow said parents were already finding it tricky to find care in some places.

“When we’re coaching parents we often tell them they should look into it 12 months or more before they intend to put their child into care because it can be so difficult to ge ta spot. There are a lot of wait lists and you don’t want to be in a position where you return to work and you haven’t secured childcare or weren’t able to get your first preference.”

Laube said centres had the highest occupancy in areas like Canterbury, where they could be up to 80 percent full.

“Whereas Auckland, you know, if you talk to the providers, they think that there are too many providers in Auckland. But that’s not really what the data is showing. The data is showing there are, you know, thousands of children up in Auckland who don’t even participate…Auckland’s challenge is something that we’re really trying to drill into.”

Otago University economist Murat Ungor said it was something that the country should address.

“ECE plays a critical role in human capital development. The World Bank notes that the first five years of life are the fastest period of human growth and development, with around 90 percent of brain development occurring by age five. Investing in these early years helps break cycles of poverty, reduce inequality, and boost long-term productivity.

“Recent UNICEF reports rank New Zealand fourth lowest out of 36 OECD and EU countries for child wellbeing, and lowest for mental wellbeing specifically. These statistics show the urgent need to prioritise early investment in the health, education, and wellbeing of New Zealand children.

“Today’s children are tomorrow’s labour force, so by investing more in our children, we will have a healthier and more skilled labour force and thus, a more productive Aotearoa.”

What are parents paying for childcare?

Khandallah Nursery School: One child, 8am to 4.30pm five days a week: $452.40

Chelsea House, Raumati Beach: One child, 35 hours a week: $150

University Kids Fairlee Terrace:: Two children, 28 hours a week: $474.64

Krafty Kidz, Ranui, Auckland: One child, four days a week: $105

High Five Early Education Centre, Hataitai: One child, 8.30am to 5.30pm five days: $275

Busy Bees Westgate: One child, 26 hours a week: $236.60

Little Minds, Whalers Gate, New Plymouth:: Two children, 28 hours a week: $584 a fortnight

Kindercare Belmont: One child, three half days: $218 a week

Busy Bees Daycare, Dargaville: One child, 35 hours a week: $136.50 a week

Royal Oak Childcare Centre, Auckland: One child, 9.5 hours a week: $115

Grey Lynn Kindergarten: One child, two full days: Free

BestStart Ponsonby: One child, 37 hours a week: $254

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Pay equity law changes ‘flagrant and significant abuse of power’, former MPs say

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former National MP Marilyn Waring. Supplied

A group of former female MPs has called changes to the pay equity law a “flagrant and significant abuse of power”.

The unofficial People’s Select Committee was formed in response to the Equal Pay Amendment Act, passed under urgency last year.

The law cancelled 33 claims from female-dominated workforces which sought to prove they were underpaid in comparison to similar male-dominated industries, and raised the threshold for future claims.

The committee, led by former National MP Marilyn Waring and made up of 10 cross-party former MPs, is releasing a report on the changes on Tuesday, after reading nearly 1400 submissions, and holding three months of hearings.

It said the government had violated the rule of law in retrospectively cancelling existing rights and remedies.

“Funded sector employers, charitable organisations and unions spent millions of dollars and thousands of hours, with other resource consequences, on the 33 cancelled claims,” the committee said.

Ministers worked on the pay equity amendment in secret until May when the changes were announced and passed under urgency – no Regulatory Impact Statement was done.

The committee described the processes of planning for and enacting the legislation as a “flagrant and significant abuse of power”.

It also found the law breached the Bill of Rights, the Human Rights Act, and the Regulatory Standard Act principles, as well as a number of international conventions that New Zealand was party to, including International Covenants on Civil and Political, and Economic and Social Rights, and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women.

Deputy Prime Minister Nicola Willis told reporters last year that tightening the scheme amounted to about $12.8 billion in savings in total over the next four years.

The committee disputed this could be classified as budgetary savings, because it said the funds were reallocated to other government expenditure and coalition government priorities.

Committee members also said it could find no evidence in available Cabinet documents or parliamentary debates to support scrapping the scheme.

“No minister, or briefing bureaucrat, and no speaker in the parliamentary debate, demonstrated any knowledge of how comparators and factor scoring work.

“The committee found that it is a sophisticated, highly rigorous process of co-research between worker and employer negotiators. The only evidence of attempts to game the system the committee could see were in the behaviours of government agencies.”

Minister for Workplace Relations Brooke van Velden. RNZ / Mark Papalii

In a statement, Minister for Workplace Relations Brooke van Velden said members of the public – including former MPs – were free to hold their own opinions and publish their own material.

“As I said at the time, equal pay is here to stay, and a pay equity system remains.

“The new system is already processing claims under the new law. The government has made the law simpler and more robust.”

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McSkimming claims Andrew Coster ‘advised’ him to file harassment complaint against woman

Source: Radio New Zealand

Andrew Coster resigned from the Social Investment Agency last year following the IPCA report into the McSkimming case. RNZ

Disgraced former deputy police commissioner Jevon McSkimming claims Andrew Coster – the Police Commissioner at the time – advised him to pursue harassment charges against a woman who accused him of sexual assault.

The revelation comes in a letter obtained by RNZ under the Official Information Act.

The December 2024 letter from McSkimming’s then-lawyer – addressed to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and copied to Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Deputy Police Service Commissioner Heather Baggott – said McSkimming was a “victim of a sustained campaign of stalking and harassment” that spanned several years.

In November last year, the Independent Police Conduct Authority released a damning report into police’s response to allegations of sexual offending by McSkimming.

The woman referred to in the IPCA’s report as Ms Z was charged in May 2024 with causing harm by posting digital communication, in relation to more than 300 emails she allegedly sent to McSkimming’s work email address between December 2023 and April 2024.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

The charge against the woman was withdrawn in the Wellington District Court in September, because McSkimming did not wish to give evidence.

Following the IPCA’s report in November, RNZ became aware of a letter sent by McSkimming’s then lawyer Michael Heron KC to Luxon and Mitchell.

On Monday, RNZ obtained a copy of the letter under the Official Information Act.

The letter – dated 17 December 2024 – began with Heron saying that on 13 December McSkimming was informed by Baggott that Mitchell intended to advise Luxon to recommend to the Governor-General that McSkimming’s warrant be suspended on a temporary basis, pending the outcome of an investigation.

Heron said McSkimming posed no risk to police.

“He has voluntarily taken leave pending the outcome of the investigation and the further step of suspending him is not required and would, in fact, victimise him further.”

Heron said McSkimming was a “victim of a sustained campaign of stalking and harassment” that began in 2018 and was ongoing.

He said the woman who was stalking him was the same one who sparked the police investigation into McSkimming.

“My client has not been provided with any information about what exactly [Ms Z] alleges. However, that investigation appears to have prompted the Police Minister to request Ms Baggott to set in motion the steps to suspend Mr McSkimming without delay.”

The letter said McSkimming had a “consensual affair” with the woman between May 2016 and May 2018.

Heron said McSkimming informed two members of Police’s senior leadership team in May 2018 about the affair, the nature of Ms Z’s allegations and “his concerns of the risk of blackmail”.

McSkimming had made “continued disclosures” to several people, including telling Coster about the relationship and the nature of the threats and allegations when he was appointed Police Commissioner.

He also disclosed it in 2020 during the process of applying for a non-statutory Deputy Commissioner role, in 2023 when applying for the statutory role, and in 2024 prior to his interview for commissioner.

“Mr McSkimming has also, less formally, disclosed his circumstances to Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura and all his peers, including a number of Assistant Commissioners and senior officers. He has been open in these disclosures about the nature of [Ms Z’s] allegations about him.”

McSkimming had faced an “avalanche of harassment” which had been “persistent and harmful”.

This included sending emails to media organisations about him, filing anonymous complaints about him to the Police 105 online reporting line, and communicating with the IPCA about him.

Heron said Ms Z had blind copied McSkimming into the communications to the IPCA.

“She was in effect using these communications as a form of harassment and pressure.”

Heron said that in March 2024 Coster “advised McSkimming to file a complaint under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015”.

The impact of the “relentless attack” on McSkimming and his family had been “significant and severe”.

“Throughout this time, however, he has continued to perform his roles professionally and conscientiously.”

Heron said there were occasions where an officer under investigation would be suspended pending the outcome of an investigation. However, that was on a case by case basis.

“In this case, there is reason to believe the filing of a police complaint by [Ms Z] is actually an abuse of process and a further intensification of her long-running campaign of victimisation”.

Heron referred to the case of former Deputy Commissioner Wally Haumaha who in 2018 was subject to an independent review, a State Services Commission review and an IPCA investigation. Haumaha took leave, but was not suspended and eventually returned to his role.

“It follows that if Mr McSkimming is to be treated no different from any other senior officer he should be on leave, but not suspended.

“Further, Mr McSkimming has not been charged with any offence. He remains confident he will not be charged. Applying the presumption of innocence, it would be a significant step to treat Mr McSkimming more harshly than Mr Haumaha, particularly where, as here, there is a context to the allegations against Mr McSkimming that indicates he is already a victim.”

In relation to protecting the integrity of the investigation into McSkimming, Heron said to date the key factor that might impact that was “leaking of information” about the investigations into his conduct.

“Mr McSkimming is not responsible for those leaks and has been severely impacted by them. Last week he had media come to his family home, and family members, including his elderly father-in-law, were door-stopped by reporters.”

No Deputy Commissioner had ever been suspended, Heron said.

“To take such an unprecedented step in this case would be grossly unfair, given the extensive history leading up to the complaint and the fact that NZ Police [and the Public Service Commission] has been kept informed about these events.”

McSkimming requested he remain on leave, on full pay.

“If, however, it is your intention to make a recommendation to the Governor-General he asks to be consulted on both the wording and the timing of any announcement so that his family, particularly his children, can be prepared.

“He strongly hopes this will not be necessary. It would also be fair and reasonable to be clear as to the conditions upon which suspension is imposed and when those conditions will end (for example if there is a decision not to charge him, he must be immediately reinstated).”

McSkimming was formally suspended on 23 December. It was during the police investigation into Ms Z’s allegations that police found the objectionable material on his work devices and a second criminal investigation began.

When RNZ was made aware of the letter last year McSkimming, Coster, Heron, Mitchell and Luxon were asked for a response. Neither McSkimming nor Coster replied. Luxon and Mitchell declined to comment.

Heron said he could not make any comment about matters relating to clients.

“If you have the letter, then it speaks for itself, and you ought to ensure you quote or use it accurately and fairly.”

Coster resigned from the Social Investment Agency (SIA) last year following the IPCA report.

In an earlier statement to RNZ Coster said his resignation was “a result of my acceptance of full responsibility for the shortcomings” identified in the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s report.

“I regret the impact on the young woman at the centre of this matter and sincerely apologise to her for the distress caused.

“I accept that I was too ready to trust and accept at face value Deputy Commissioner McSkimming’s disclosure and explanations to me. I should have been faster and more thorough in looking into the matter.”

Coster acknowledged he should have more fully investigated the allegations when they were brought to his attention, “rather than assuming that their previous disclosure to senior Police staff a few years earlier would have resulted in an investigation if necessary”.

“It is clear that Police’s handling of the whole matter was lacking and that I was ultimately responsible for those matters. It was sobering to read of a number of missed opportunities which should have proceeded differently and more appropriately.”

Coster welcomed Sir Brian Roche’s acknowledgement that the report made no finding of corruption or cover-up, nor did the IPCA find any evidence of any actions involving officers consciously doing the wrong thing or setting out to undermine the integrity of the organisation.

“I made decisions honestly. I acted in good faith. I sought to take all important factors into account with the information I had at the time. While it is not possible to alter past events, I am prepared to take responsibility – I got this wrong.

“I want to apologise to all members of the NZ Police. They work hard every day to keep our communities safe. I know they have been adversely affected by these events.”

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Dog owners take Auckland Council to court over Monte Cecilia Park off-leash ban

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

Frustrated dog owners are taking on Auckland Council in court on Tuesday.

Last year, the Puketāpapa Local Board voted four to two to ban dogs from running free in part of Hillsborough’s Monte Cecilia Park.

An interim order halting the decision is in place until the outcome of a judicial review, which starts on Tuesday morning at the High Court in Auckland.

At a gathering at the park over the weekend, Jonathan Sweeney from the Dog Lovers of Monte Cecilia Incorporated Society, told RNZ the 500-member-strong group had raised almost $13,000 in its spare time. Their lawyer, George Barton, had agreed to take on the case pro bono.

“It’s a bit ironic that we’ve had to raise our own funds to pay our legal fees and costs, and yet our ratepayer money is actually funding a KC and the legal team at the council.

“I’m the manager of a sports strapping tape company. Myself and all of our volunteers we’ve got other lives.

“This is a great example of David vs Goliath. We’re just regular people, ratepayers, taking on the might of Auckland Council.”

Sweeney said an overwhelming majority of the community wanted to keep the park as it was.

Out of 900 responses from the public during the local board’s consultation, 88 percent (795 people) were against removing the off-leash bowl area, and just 10 percent (89 people) supported it. A petition opposing the decision with more than 1000 signatures was also handed to the board.

Sweeney said the group would be arguing in court that the local board had “pre-determined” its decision before consulting the public.

It was also contesting the board’s view that the off-leash area was a significant safety risk.

“We have a fair amount of proof in terms of emails and correspondence that, in our opinion, demonstrate a high amount of pre-determination going back more than one year.”

Animal management data showed that between 2019 and 2024 there were 63 dog-related incidents at the park, including attacks, aggressive behaviour and reports of roaming dogs.

In that time, three people were attacked by an off-leash dog, all in on-leash areas. There were 12 dog attacks on animals, and all but one happened in the off-leash area.

Zara Moselen, who brought her dog Nala to Monte Cecilia most days, felt the board was ignoring the community’s voice.

“Hundred and hundreds of people voiced their opinion, and the board still went with the 10 percent.

“I really hope the judicial review is a fair process and our argument can be heard.

“The sense of community at this park you can’t find in many other places. It’s such a special, unique spot for dogs to run around and play. It’s such a small part of this huge park that’s off-lead.”

Louise Fletcher and her dog Ernie also used the park regularly.

“The local council is supposed to listen to public consultation, and they went very much against it. They should listen to what the people who pay the rates actually want.

“It makes me feel minimised as a dog owner.

“In Auckland, we’re really underserved with off-leash areas. We’re getting pushed into smaller spaces. This is one of the few premium places where the area set aside for dogs is actually really good.”

Auckland Council and Puketāpapa Local Board chair Roseanne Hay told RNZ they would not comment on the judicial proceedings while the case was before the court.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

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Only a quarter of heart attack patients survive the trip to hospital – report

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dr Elena Garcia, St John. Supplied / St John

Only a quarter of people who have heart attacks in the community survive the trip to hospital, according to a new report by ambulance services.

Hato Hone St John and Wellington Free Ambulance have released the latest annual Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest Report, saying “out-of-hospital cardiac arrests” (OHCAs) remain a major public health challenge.

Between 1 July 2024 and 30 June 2025, 2466 people were treated for cardiac arrest by ambulance officers across the country – almost seven a day.

Eighty-one percent of patients received CPR from a bystander, but only six percent received treatment with a defibrillator, otherwise known as an AED.

Twenty-four percent of patients survived to hospital arrival, and only 12 percent survived a month after the event – similar numbers to previous years.

Dr Elena Garcia, deputy clinical director at St John, said making sure people received timely CPR or AED access could be the difference between life or death.

“We know that patients who have recieved community defibrillation from an AED have more than double the odds of survival, so it’s just about getting them to the patients when they need them.

“It’s about having AEDs in communities all across New Zealand, and making sure they’re truly available in terms of being open to the community, 24/7 access, and unlocked.”

They were very straightforward to use, she said – the 111 call-taker could walk someone through it, or the AED itself would have an automated voice telling the first responder where to put the stickers and which buttons to press.

Deputy chief executive for clinical services at Hato Hone St John, Jon Moores, agreed that improving community confidence and capability remained essential, along with increasing awareness of early signs of cardiac arrest and the availability of AEDs.

Key metrics from the past five years regarding cardiac arrests outside of hospitals. Supplied / Hato Hone St John / Wellington Free Ambulance

Inequalities for women, Māori and Pacific peoples highlighted by data

The data showed Māori and Pacific peoples tended to have cardiac arrests more often, and earlier in life, along with people living in rural and higher-deprivation communities.

Hato Hone St John’s clinical evaluation, research and insights manager, Dr Sarah Maessen, explained Māori were 1.4 times more likely to suffer cardiac arrest and faced this risk a decade earlier in life than non-Māori.

Female patients had lower odds of survival at 50 percent, and were about 60 percent less likely to receive defibrillation from another member of the public than males.

Garcia said it was possible there was a fear of removing women’s clothing, or exposing them in an inappropriate way.

“Do what you can and help the patient, because they will be very glad to survive.”

Wellington Free Ambulance executive medical director Dr Erica Douglass said it worked to train people across the Wellington region in CPR and using AEDs through The Lloyd Morrison Foundation Heartbeat CPR Training programme.

“Last year close to 10,000 people across Greater Wellington and Wairarapa learnt this lifesaving skill,” she said. “This training is free of charge thanks to cornerstone partner Julie Nevett and The Lloyd Morrison Foundation who fund this essential programme.

“The data in this report shows us the positive impact bystander CPR and AED use has for chances of survival in a sudden cardiac arrest, and we encourage everyone to undertake training, know where their closest AED is and be ready to assist if needed.”

Key facts from the report

  • 72 percent of cardiac arrests happen at home, 16 percent in public areas, and 4 percent in aged care facilities
  • 43 percent of out-of-hospital events were attended by at least one GoodSAM responder
  • 70 percent of those patients were male
  • 94 percent of cardiac events were co-responded to and attended by Fire and Emergency
  • Median age of patients: Māori – 59 years; Pacific peoples – 60 years; non-Māori, non-Pacific peoples – 69 years

How can you help?

Take part in St John’s community education programme ‘[www.stjohn.org.nz/what-we-do/community-programmes/3-steps-for-life/ 3 Steps for Life]’ for one hour of free CPR and AED training.

Then sign up to [www.stjohn.org.nz/first-aid/lifesaving-apps/ GoodSAM], an app which alerts nearby people trained in CPR and defibrillation, when someone nearby is having a cardiac arrest.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

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Auckland Lantern Festival to unveil a New Zealand icon

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two galloping horse lanterns will be the main attraction for visitors at this year’s Auckland Lantern Festival. SUPPLIED / TĀTAKI AUCKLAND UNLIMITED

A towering lantern of a moa is poised to make its debut at Manukau Sports Bowl when the Auckland Lantern Festival opens on Thursday, giving the annual event a distinct New Zealand flavour.

It was the first time the festival had included a lantern representing a slice of New Zealand history, said Jep Savali, group manager of major events at organiser Tātaki Auckland Unlimited.

“[The moa] became extinct about 600 years ago,” Savali said. “It’s a very prominent animal within Māori culture, that’s why we’ve chosen the moa.”

A moa lantern will be unveiled at the Lantern Festival in Auckland this year. SUPPLIED / TĀTAKI AUCKLAND UNLIMITED

Savali said the three-and-a-half-meter lantern had initially been designed in New Zealand.

A well-known producer in Zigong, China, was then asked to manufacture the lantern before shipping it to Auckland for display.

The entire process took about four to five months, he said.

A lantern depicting a kiwi was being planned for a future festival, he said.

A giant lantern of two galloping horses would also feature at this year’s festival to celebrate the Year of the Horse alongside more than 500 handmade lanterns.

“The horses will be four meters high and three meters long,” Savali said.

“[The lantern] is based on an Eastern Han artifact of a galloping horse treading on a flying swallow,” he said. “It symbolises speed, success and optimism for the year.”

A woman in traditional attire dances in front of one of the snake lanterns at the 2025 Lantern Festival. RNZ / Yiting Lin

In China, the Lantern Festival – also known as the Yuan Xiao Festival – is a festival that marks the end of Spring Festival celebrations.

People typically observe the holiday by visiting colourful lantern displays and eating sweet glutinous rice balls known as tāngyuán.

In some parts of China, festivities also include lion and dragon dances, stilt-walking and traditional riddle games.

In New Zealand, the Auckland Lantern Festival began as a one-night event at Albert Park in 2000.

It has since grown into a four-day festival and is now one of the country’s largest cultural events, moving venues over time as attendance numbers increased.

Lanterns on display at the 2025 Auckland Lantern Festival. RNZ / Yiting Lin

Savali said this year marked the third year the festival would be held at Manukau Sports Bowl.

“There are arguments both ways about where the festival should be,” he said. “Manukau Sports Bowl provides a really large venue.

“If you can imagine, 500-plus lanterns on display, over 50 food stalls, close to 100 stalls altogether, plus family rides, and contemporary and traditional performances on the stages. We needed to find somewhere that could cater for all of that.”

This year, the event will again operate as a free ticketed event, a system introduced to manage crowd numbers and support public transport use.

Ticket holders will be able to travel free on buses and trains from two hours before the festival opens until the end of regular daily services.

Free shuttle buses will also run regularly between Manukau Train Station, Westfield Manukau and Manukau Sports Bowl before, during and after the festival.

Lanterns on display at the 2025 Auckland Lantern Festival. RNZ / Yiting Lin

Savali said parking around the venue was limited and urged visitors to use public transport.

“We’re expecting up to 160,000 people over the four days of the Lantern Festival,” he said.

“The weekends are the busiest – that’s when we expect a large uptake of people to come along to see the lanterns.

“If you can, take public transport,” he said.

The festival will run daily from 4pm to 10:30pm from Thursday to Sunday, with fireworks scheduled for about 9:50pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.

Organisers encourage visitors to secure free tickets early to help manage capacity.

By Monday, 100,000 tickets had already been claimed, with tickets for Saturday fully booked.

Organisers said a limited number of walk-in tickets were available each day for visitors who had missed out.

A dragon dance performance at the Auckland Lantern Festival in 2025. RNZ / Yiting Lin

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

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New appointment to Teaching Council

Source: New Zealand Government

Education Minister Erica Stanford has today announced the appointment of Debbie Francis to the Teaching Council board, providing a valuable addition as the organisation undergoes significant change.

“Ms Francis is a highly respected operator with strong, extensive experience in organisational change and strategy. She has led various change programmes across both the public and private sectors,” Ms Stanford says.

“The Teaching Council has been identified as having a number of serious, pressing issues that need to be resolved in order for it to fulfil its roles effectively and enable trust and confidence heading into the future.

“Ms Francis has shown that she has a strong, clear understanding of changes that need to happen, as outlined in her own report. I have full confidence that she will be a valuable contributor on the recently refreshed board.

“I am pleased to welcome Ms Francis to the role. I am glad that her expertise will join the board as they work to restore the Teaching Council to a position where it is able to operate and serve teachers, children, and the sector, brilliantly.”

Ms Francis was lead partner for the PwC People and Change practice and head of the PwC central government practice. She was also Chief Executive at the 

New Zealand Correspondence School, Deputy Chief Executive for UCOL, and the Director of Strategy and Futures at Lincoln University. She holds a Masters in Public Policy.