Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Better Taxes for a Better Future

As the Government prepares to release a Budget that will deliver further cuts to public services an overwhelming majority of New Zealanders support increased spending on those services, according to a new poll commissioned by the Better Taxes for a Better Future campaign.

The Talbot Mills Research poll asked whether government spending on key public services such as hospitals, schools, and the police should increase (a lot or a bit), stay the same or decrease (a bit or a lot). 83% of respondents supported increases in public spending, and this support remained high across the political spectrum with even 62% of ACT supporters endorsing an increase.

“This poll shows that there is widespread support for greater investment in our public services to meet the needs of New Zealanders, such as in healthcare, and education,” says Glenn Barclay spokesperson for the Better Taxes campaign.

“It’s clear that, even in these tough economic times, people across the political spectrum realise investment in public services now is important to help build a better future.”

The poll also asked if wealthier New Zealanders (e.g.people who earn over $180,000 per year and/or have assets worth more than $5m) should pay more, the same, or less tax than they do at present. A majority (57%) supported the wealthy paying more tax.

“This may not be a surprising result for Labour, Green and Te Pāti Māori supporters, yet even a majority of National Party supporters favour the wealthy paying more tax,” says Glenn Barclay.

“The IR report into High Net Worth Individuals in 2023 demonstrated that the wealthiest 310 families in New Zealand had an effective tax rate of 9.4% compared to over 20% for the average New Zealander and it is clear that there is support for rectifying this imbalance,” says Glenn Barclay.

“The responses to these two questions send a clear message that New Zealanders don’t want to see cuts to essential public services, and the government needs to be looking at other ways to generate the revenue we need to provide services that will enable all New Zealanders to succeed,” says Glenn Barclay.

“We encourage the Government and opposition parties to be looking at tax changes that would ensure those that have more to contribute, make that contribution. Gathering more revenue from wealth and gains from wealth would put us in a better position to address the challenges we face in delivering public services, addressing poverty and climate change, and funding major infrastructure.”

The Better Taxes for a Better Future Campaign is a coalition of over 20 organisations led by Tax Justice Aotearoa.

We believe that tax reform is the only solution to the current challenges facing Aotearoa NZ.  We need the tax system to:

• be transparent
• raise more revenue to enable us address the challenges we face
• make sure people who have more to contribute make that contribution: that we gather more revenue from wealth, gains from wealth, all forms of income, and corporates
• make greater use of fair taxes to promote good health and environmental health
• address the tax impact on the least well off in our society.

Source: Animals Aotearoa

(New Zealand – May 21, 2025) – As calls to ban the practice of octopus farming continue to gain momentum worldwide, the government of New Zealand is set to make a decision about providing more funding to octopus farming on May 21. 168 organisations are united in strongly advising against wasting any additional funding to establish industrialised octopus farming, a practice that would have dangerous implications for the environment, public health, and animal welfare.

To date, the New Zealand government has awarded one million dollars to the University of Auckland for research to develop octopus farming.  An open letter, led and written by Animals Aotearoa with support from Aquatic Life Institute, is calling on the New Zealand Government to decline any new funding of projects that aim to develop commercial octopus factory farming. The letter, which has been signed by 168 organisations, including members of the Aquatic Animal Alliance (AAA), a global coalition working to improve the welfare of aquatic animals in the food system, explains that while this new form of aquaculture is still in the research phase, it would cause extensive harm should it become reality. Evidence shows that it is both unethical and unsustainable, and current research has not demonstrated any pathway to achieving high-welfare farming or ecosystem-neutral farming for octopuses.

Source: New Zealand Police

Motorists using the Rakaia River should expect delays after a truck broke down on the bridge.

Police were notified about 5.55am.

The truck is currently blocking the southbound land.

Drivers are asked to take care while arrangements are made to move the truck.

Traffic management is being arranged.

ENDS

Iissued by the Police Media Centre

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

PSNA says an end to government silence on Israeli genocide in Gaza is overdue, but says New Zealand’s signature on an international declaration is wholly inadequate and too little too late.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Co-Chair John Minto says a just released joint statement by 22 foreign ministers, including New Zealand’s, breaks New Zealand’s month’s long silence on Israel’s genocide in Gaza, but falls well short of any means of making Israel comply with international law.

“We don’t need to be told all over again that the resumption of full-scale aid deliveries is vital to avoid wide scale starvation, or that the UN must drive the aid distribution and there is a vital need for a ceasefire.”

“This is just New Zealand dusting off the rhetoric which it issued a year ago – which was completely ignored by Israel.”

Minto says the only promising moves with potential teeth are in a joint statement just issued by the UK, France and Canada.

“At last, some major countries are talking about sanctions,” Minto says.

The triparted statement threatens sanctions against Israel.

“If Israel does not cease the renewed military offensive and lift its restrictions on humanitarian aid, we will take further concrete actions in response.”

They (the three countries) also warned they would be prepared to impose targeted sanctions over attempts to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank.

Minto says over the past few days Israel has been ramping up its assault on Gaza to even higher levels of ferocity.

“It’s time for governments’ words to end, and sanctions to be implemented.  A year ago, Canada and New Zealand were issuing joint statements on Gaza, along with Australia.”

“Canada has raised the stakes.  New Zealand should move past Canada and implement sanctions immediately.”

https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/278229391/joint-donor-statement-on-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza

UK, France and Canada condemn ‘egregious actions’ by Netanyahu’s Israel

John Minto

Co-Chair

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

The Israeli government approved nine truck aid convoy into Gaza is a cynical photo-op, according to the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

PSNA says the trucks are designed to appease and confuse both western news media and critics of Israeli genocide in Gaza.

PSNA Co-Chair Maher Nazzal says the Israeli Prime Minister is openly reported in the Israeli media that leading backers of Israel in the United States are concerned that blocking food and other supplies entering Gaza is not a good look.

“These American politicians completely back Israeli war crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing, but they worry that US and UK war supplies for Israel are in jeopardy if it looks like Israel is starving an entire civilian population to death.”

“The UN estimated that 600 trucks a day are required for minimum food, medicine and fuel supply.  This was before Israel destroyed food production in Gaza itself. Nine truckloads – even if a few more follow – will make no difference.”

Nazzal says the images of trucks entering Gaza will dominate what he describes as obedient media coverage.

“The indications are that Israel is escalating the military onslaught on Gaza to unprecedented ferocity.”

“Israel has wreaked nearly every building in the Gaza Strip.  This new phase is to kill and drive the population of more than two million Palestinians, men, women and children, either onto tiny reservations in Gaza or into Africa.  This is happening in full view of the world.”

“Leading international genocide scholars have just announced that Israel is conducting genocide.  There are no ifs and buts about their conclusion.”

“We just hope that our Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, has been briefed on the most recent of Israeli war crimes and intentions.”

“He’s scheduled to visit a number of South Asian countries next week.  He’ll be needing to end his silence on Israeli atrocities in Gaza and be able to tell foreign leaders what specific steps New Zealand is taking to help bring Israel to heel.”

https://worldisraelnews.com/netanyahu-approves-gaza-aid-amid-u-s-pressure/

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/top-genocide-scholars-unanimous-israel-committing-genocide-gaza-investigation-finds

Maher Nazzal

Co-Chair

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

Source: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi (CTU)

New analysis from the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi shows that the health service is likely to be underfunded by between $1.2bn to $2bn at the Budget.

“We have examined the spending decisions and announcements of the Minister of Health over the past few months. These demonstrate a pattern of making a new service promise but not providing any new funding for that new service,” said NZCTU Economist Craig Renney.

“That means the commitments have to be paid out of the existing budget, which is already under huge pressure. These sneaky cuts add up to $1.2bn across 4 years.

“At Budget 2024 the government provided $1.370bn for cost pressures. This has been calculated by the Treasury as simply covering the cost of existing services. The $1.2bn of new spending are all new services on top. If they come from the ‘cost pressure’ payment above, that acts as a direct cut to existing health services.

“Assuming the Treasury cost pressure costs are right, health needs $1.713bn just to stand still at Budget 2025 in direct new funding – and likely a figure closer to $2bn once the unknown costs are added.

 “If this money is coming from pay equity funding, it would be the equivalent of those low-income health workers paying for the new service themselves.

“In opposition, National said that it would “prioritise increases in funding for health and education to account for inflation.” The government now appears to be robbing the very funding set aside for inflation in health to pay for its new priorities, breaking their pre-election promise,” said Renney. 

The government has also made the following announcements and has not provided any costing information with those announcements. These costs are likely in the hundreds of millions, but we simply have no current idea about if the government will provide any further resources for them.

Source: New Zealand Police

Police acknowledge the sentence handed down to Donald James Sarratt in the Wellington District Court today, for his role as a facilitator of a website which hosted computer-generated child sexual abuse material.

Sarratt, 35, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years’ imprisonment after being found guilty of possessing objectionable material relating to children and knowingly making and/or copying objectionable material relating to the sexual exploitation of children.

A forensic examination of Sarratt’s electronic devices also identified child sexual abuse material images of real children.

The operation, dubbed Operation Dark Orchid, commenced in 2022 following a referral from the United States of America, Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Department of Justice Child Exploitation Unit.

The investigation centred on a website with over 85,000 computer generated images – 30,000 of those being realistic images depicting the graphic sexual abuse and torture of children as young as infants.

Teams of dedicated investigators worked tirelessly to identify those responsible for this offending, resulting in the dismantling of a long-standing website whose users who sought sexual gratification from the abuse of children.

Detective Sergeant Daniel Wright led Operation Dark Orchid for the New Zealand Police Online Child Exploitation Across New Zealand (OCEANZ) team.

He says Sarratt’s sentencing is a testament to the thorough investigation conducted by New Zealand Police and US law enforcement.

“In New Zealand, creating, possessing, or distributing material that promotes or tends to promote or support the sexual exploitation of children is punishable under the Films, Videos, Publications and Classifications Act.

“This investigation, involving our law enforcement colleagues from the US, demonstrates our commitment to keeping our communities safe, and that we will use all resources available to us to hold to account those who prey on the vulnerability of children both in New Zealand and abroad,” Detective Sergeant Wright says.

HSI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard says: “HSI works seamlessly with our law enforcement partners across the globe to stop those who produce and distribute child sexual abuse materials.

“The vast number of images uncovered in this joint investigation – many featuring disturbingly realistic computer-generated representations of unspeakable child sexual abuse – is unacceptable in any part of contemporary society.

“This sentence for the defendant reinforces our dedication to protecting the innocence of our most vulnerable populations from such abhorrent child exploitation,” he says.

If you, or someone you know, comes across child sexual abuse material online, we urge you to report it:

New Zealand Police: Call 105 or report online here 105 Police Non-Emergency Online Reporting | New Zealand Police. If you have immediate concerns for the safety of someone, please call 111.

Department of Internal Affairs www.dia.govt.nz

Netsafe : Netsafe New Zealand’s online safety organisation | Netsafe

Terminology

Media are urged to use the terminology ‘child sexual abuse images’ or ‘child objectionable material’, and not ‘child pornography’.

The use of the phrase ‘child pornography’ downplays child sex abuse:

It indicates legitimacy and compliance on the victim’s part and therefore suggests legality on the abuser’s part

It conjures up images of children posing in ‘provocative’ positions, rather than the image capturing the suffering of horrific abuse.

Every publication of these images promotes the sexual exploitation of children and young people and often portrays actual child abuse occurring at the time.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

The Government has decided to discharge the Digital Services Tax Bill from the legislative programme, Revenue Minister Simon Watts announced today.
The Digital Services Tax Bill was introduced in 2023 by the previous Government. It was a response to a perceived lack of progress towards developing an agreement with other countries to address the taxation challenges posed by digitalisation.
“We have been monitoring international developments and have decided not to progress the Digital Services Tax Bill at this time. A global solution has always been our preferred option, and we have been encouraged by the recent commitment of countries to the OECD work in this area,” Mr Watts says.
“New Zealand has long supported, and benefited from, collective action and the global rules-based system. By focusing on a global solution, it will enable an agreed, consistent outcome across participating countries.”
As a result of taking this action, the forecast revenues from the introduction of a Digital Services Tax no longer meet the criteria for inclusion in the Crown accounts.