Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Green Party

Today’s figures, which show fewer jobs in the construction and manufacturing sectors than a year ago, are further proof that the Government for the rich is failing working New Zealanders.

“These figures paint a damning picture of an economy that’s failing to provide enough jobs or security for workers,” says the Green Party’s Social Development and Employment spokesperson, Ricardo Menéndez March.

“New Zealanders should be in control of our economy, our jobs, and our future. We can create the jobs we need and do the kind of work that helps us build an Aotearoa we can be proud of.

“The Government isn’t delivering on their promised jobs and income growth. There were fewer people working in December 2025 than in December 2024, when we should have seen more people getting into good, decent jobs.  

“At the same time, overall earnings for workers are anaemic, with total earnings only up 1.1 per cent over the year. This shows what most people are feeling, that they are going backwards.  

“Gross incomes rising below inflation means the cost of living is eating away at people’s ability to make ends meet, and the Government has no plan to turn this around. 

“This is a direct result of the Government gutting our public housing programme, abandoning key infrastructure projects, and sitting on their hands while power prices shoot up, decimating the manufacturing industry.

“It’s no wonder that New Zealanders continue fleeing for Australia every day. 

“The Greens have a plan to deliver 40,000 decent jobs in conservation and construction through a greens job guarantee.

“We can do things differently, so everyone has what they need to live a good life. That starts with kicking Luxon and his cronies out next term,” says Ricardo Menéndez March,” says Ricardo Menéndez March.

Source: Green Party

Green Party MP Celia Wade-Brown has announced she will not be standing as a candidate in the 2026 General Election.   

“Having served as a Green City Councillor for fourteen years, two terms as Mayor, and a Green Party list MP, I will continue to strongly support the Green Party,” says Celia-Wade Brown.   

“Serving as a Member of Parliament for the Green Party has been a privilege. However, as one of the oldest MPs in this Parliament – and the oldest woman MP, I am looking forward to fewer midnight debates under anti-democratic urgency.  

“In 2026, I will continue to speak up for people, te tiriti, and nature in the face of this government’s attacks on all three. With support from back-benchers across most parties, I hope to progress my Domestic Cat Microchipping members bill which will improve domestic cat welfare and reduce harm to native species.   

“Beyond the election, I will continue to protect native habitat in the Wairarapa against rats, stoats, deer, and possums, and to take up more opportunities for packrafting, sea kayaking, bike-packing, and tramping. 

“The talent within the Green Party staff, elected representatives in local and central government, branch members, and networks is immense. There are many very brilliant and energetic candidates, as well as our capable current Green MPs. Aotearoa New Zealand has the solutions for a fair society and healthy planet with the leadership of Chlöe and Marama,” Celia says.    

Green Party Co-leader, Marama Davidson says “Celia has given many decades to improving outcomes for Wellingtonians and te taiao as part of the Green Party.  She is a champion for a sustainable living in local and central government. We respect Celia’s decision to step away from national politics at the end of this term. We expect she will continue to contribute to the Green Party, our shared values, and to bringing about a better world in whatever roles she chooses”.   

Source: Green Party

Today, the Green Party is announcing a member’s bill, in the name of Hūhana Lyndon, to entrench Māori seats in law. 

“Entrenching Māori seats in law is only a start, but a necessary one,” says the Green Party’s Māori Development spokesperson, Hūhana Lyndon. 

“A thriving democracy, one which we can all be proud of, requires that all people participate in ways that make sense to them. Entrenching Māori seats protects that right for generations to come. 

“This Bill aims to correct a constitutional imbalance of the treatment of Māori seats. General Electorate seats are currently entrenched. Māori seats are not. That’s not democracy; it is constitutionally flawed, and prejudices Māori in the electoral system. 

“The Bill also implements the recommendations of the Independent Electoral Review 2023 to allow Māori to switch rolls at any time, and vote on a different roll for local elections. 

“The coalition government have ignored the real issues with our electoral system and independent recommendations to fix them.  

“Parliament has decided that some provisions of electoral law, such as the voting age and the method of voting, are so important, that they can only be changed with the support of 75 per cent of MPs instead of the usual 50 per cent. Currently, Māori seats can be abolished by a simple majority. 

“What we do with our democracy matters, who we shut out and who we afford special privileges shape the decisions made in Parliament and the direction this country is taken in. 

“With the coalition making every possible attempt to undermine te Tiriti and Māori voices, the time is now to implement independent recommendations to protect and strengthen the Māori roll. 

“It is high time that Luxon stood up for the good of our nation and upheld the dignity, meaning and integrity of our founding agreements. As such, I look forward to his support for this Bill,” says Hūhana Lyndon. 

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

18 December 2025

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

11 December 2025

The Independent Police Conduct Authority has found that Police in Hawkes Bay unlawfully entered a house to arrest a man for breaching bail.

During the evening of 14 July 2024, seven Police officers went to a house in Flaxmere to arrest a man for breaching his electronically monitored bail. At the front door, officers told the man he was under arrest. The man denied breaching bail and refused to cooperate with the officers, trying to shut the door. Officers then entered the house, relying on a power they believed was available to them under section 7 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012; they considered the man had been arrested and was therefore deemed to be unlawfully at large when he refused to come out of the house.

We found this power was not available in this case, as officers had not effected the arrest of the man as he stood inside the house (police had no lawful power to enter and complete the arrest). Police should have applied for an arrest warrant, under section 37 of the Bail Act, if they suspected entry to the house would be required to complete the arrest.

The issues in this case are not isolated. From other complaints we receive, there is widespread misunderstanding by officers of section 7 of the Search and Surveillance Act, and the powers available when arresting someone for breach of bail or arresting someone while they are inside private property.

In this case we also found that initial force used against the man was unjustified because the first Police entry into the house was unlawful. Later force, and subsequent entry to the house, was lawful and justified because officers believed there was risk to the man’s life.

The Authority recommended Police deliver training on this issue to frontline staff across all districts and to consider how officers can obtain a warrant to arrest when outside of Court hours.

Public Report 

Police conduct unlawful entry to arrest a man in Hawkes Bay (PDF 331 KB)

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

27 November 2025

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

In a report released today, the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found significant failings in the way in which senior Police responded to serious complaints made against Jevon McSkimming in 2023 and early 2024.

The complaints, formally referred to the IPCA on 10 October 2024, included allegations of sexual interaction without consent, threats to use an intimate visual recording, and misuse of a Police credit card and Police property to further a sexual relationship. Some of the complaints alleged criminal conduct, while others alleged behaviour constituting a potential breach of the Police Code of Conduct.

The allegations arose from a sexual relationship between the complainant and Mr McSkimming that developed in 2016. The complainant was 21 and Mr McSkimming was 42. Each party gives a markedly different account of the nature of the relationship.

Most of the complaints before October 2024 were made through various emails and other Internet communications to individuals, but they were also made by way of:

• a comment on a Police LinkedIn announcement that Mr McSkimming had been appointed a statutory Deputy Commissioner in April 2023; and
• three complaints through the Police 105 on-line reporting portal in April 2024.

The Police response to these complaints was characterised by inaction and an unquestioning acceptance of Mr McSkimming’s narrative of events.

While there was no evidence of collusion between officers in this respect, the IPCA has nevertheless found serious misconduct by a number of very senior officers and other senior Police employees during 2023 and early 2024 that has undermined the integrity of the organisation as a whole.

Those findings are made in respect of, among others, the then Commissioner, two Deputy Commissioners and an Assistant Commissioner. In particular:

• No effective action was taken to investigate the comment on the LinkedIn announcement.
• A report by the joint Police/Health Fixated Threat Assessment Centre in February 2024 identified the fact that potential criminal and Police Code of Conduct concerns relating to Mr McSkimming were being alleged in the emails and suggested referral to the Police National Integrity Unit and the IPCA with a view to possible investigation. However, the Deputy Commissioner and the Acting Assistant Commissioner (Investigations) to whom this recommendation was directed took no action. Instead, the only investigation that was launched focused on potential offences by the complainant under the Harmful Digital Communications Act, leading to her prosecution.
• The complaints to the Police 105 reporting line were not immediately acted on and not notified to the IPCA as is required by statute and by agreed processes between Police and the IPCA. There was an unacceptable delay in initiating an investigation, which effectively did not commence until July 2024. When the complaints were eventually referred for a preliminary investigation, the terms of reference were inappropriately worded and did not comply with Adult Sexual Assault Policy.
• When Police referred the matter to the IPCA in October 2024 then-Commissioner Coster attempted to influence the nature and extent of the investigation and the timeframe for its completion. Those attempts were perceived by some others within Police as designed to bring the investigation to a rapid and premature conclusion so as not to intersect with the Commissioner appointment process and jeopardise Mr McSkimming’s prospects of being appointed as the next Commissioner of Police, notwithstanding the seriousness of the allegations being made.
• In 2023, while a member of the interview panel for the statutory Deputy Commissioner appointment process, Commissioner Coster failed to disclose to the Public Service Commission his knowledge of Deputy McSkimming’s relationship which had subsequently led to the emails alleging misconduct. This failure clearly fell below what a reasonable person would have expected of a person in his position. Subsequently, Commissioner Coster’s disclosure to the Public Service Commission on 8 October 2024, during the interim Commissioner appointment process, also fell well short of what a reasonable person would have expected, given what he knew at the time.

The serious misconduct identified by the Authority in this report should not tarnish the reputation of those Police staff throughout the country who deal with difficult and risky situations every day with restraint, impartiality and fairness. It is also important to note that the report draws attention to a number of staff who acted with integrity and moral courage in their efforts to do the right thing in the face of considerable pressure from more senior colleagues.

Nevertheless, the findings in this report graphically demonstrate that the integrity system needs to be strengthened in order to ensure that it operates with transparency, fairness and independence when conduct issues arise at any level in Police. While Police have made significant advances towards a more positive culture since the Bazley inquiry in 2008, the settings in place to protect and enhance integrity are still not sufficiently robust to enable the public to have confidence that Police will do their job ‘without fear or favour.’ A sustained plan of action is required to effect further substantial change. There ought to be a focus on leadership, but supported by stronger organisational settings that sustain good practice and protect integrity, including even when leadership fails.

To that end, the IPCA has made a number of fundamental recommendations for change. These include:

• more specific recognition of who is responsible for the protection of integrity at senior management level;
• a revamp of Police internal policies and programmes to promote positive culture around integrity issues and ethical behaviour;
• changes to the Integrity and Conduct Unit within Police to enable it to play a stronger and more independent role and more effectively to act against poor behaviour when it arises;
• legislative and structural changes to enable more robust criminal and employment processes and outcomes in relation to alleged misconduct by Police officers;
• a strengthening of the IPCA’s oversight role; and
• enhanced Ministerial and Parliamentary oversight.

The report describes complaints and allegations made against Mr McSkimming. It does not make any findings as to the truth of these allegations.

We have assessed Police actions solely on the basis of what the officers concerned knew at the time. The outcome of any investigation into those complaints and allegations is irrelevant to the findings in this report, as are any other allegations relating to Deputy Commissioner McSkimming that have subsequently come to light.

The IPCA will not be making any further comment.

Postscript

Today’s report only concerns the first aspect of the Authority’s investigation: the question of whether Police responded appropriately to the allegations made by the complainant, before the formal investigation into these complaints was launched in November 2024. The Authority is still reviewing the adequacy of that investigation. The IPCA will be reporting on this as soon as practicable.

Public Report 

Source: Independent Police Conduct Authority

20 November 2025

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  05 February 2026

With so few Māui dolphins left, every opportunity to understand and protect them matters.

This research, conducted every five years, uses a proven genetic mark-recapture method to estimate the Māui dolphin population along the west coast of the North Island where they live. DNA samples will be collected from live, wild dolphins using a small biopsy dart, providing essential information about population size, genetic diversity, and movement patterns.

The survey is part of the Department of Conservation’s (DOC) ongoing work to understand and protect nature. By tracking Māui dolphin numbers over time, DOC can respond early to changes and make informed decisions to support the species’ long-term survival, says DOC Senior Technical Advisor Kristina Hillock.

“Māui dolphins are critically endangered, and every sighting or sample contributes to our understanding of the species and its future survival.”

The most recent abundance estimate, completed in 2021, indicated there were approximately 54 individual Māui dolphins over the age of one year in the water off the North Island’s west coast (the animals’ known habitat).

This new survey will provide an updated estimate to help track changes in the population and inform conservation efforts. The two-year survey began in February 2025, with the second year scheduled for February 2026. Field teams will operate along the west coast between the entrance to Kaipara Harbour and the Mokau River in Taranaki. This collaborative effort brings together staff from DOC’s Taranaki, Auckland, and Waikato districts and Marine Species Team, the University of Auckland, and Ngaati Te Ata.

The public can also play a role in conservation efforts by reporting any sightings of Māui dolphins to DOC, which helps scientists track where the dolphins are and how they are using their habitat.

People can also help by being aware of the threat toxoplasmosis poses to Māui dolphins, including responsibly disposing of cat litter so the parasite does not enter waterways and the ocean.

Māui dolphins can be identified by their distinctive rounded dorsal fin, often likened to Mickey Mouse’s ear. “Real-time reports help our field teams understand where the dolphins are being seen and improve the success of our survey.

“Naturing is about working together – scientists, communities and everyday ocean users – to give Māui dolphins the best chance of survival,” says Kristina.

Sightings can be reported through the SeaSpotter app, DOC’s hotline at 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468), or the online Marine mammal sighting form.

Contact

Source: New Zealand Police

A father of four spending the day lake-side with his family and friends found himself diving headfirst into a rescue operation he never saw coming.

Earlier this month Haruru resident Aaron Stott was at Kai Iwi Lakes with his wife and three of their children when another family ran into trouble in the water.

Aaron says it was early evening when he and his wife and their friend decided to take a walk along the beach.

“We were walking back when my wife saw a couple of kids in the water and noticed something wasn’t quite right.

“Then all of a sudden the mum ran in and basically just went under.”

Aaron says he started running into the water.

“I managed to get the mum and a child into the shallow part of the water.

“And then I thought, ‘oh thank goodness, I’ve got them out and they’re ok’.”

But Aaron says another person nearby yelled out to him that there were two more people in the water.

“But I couldn’t see anyone – so I just dove in and there were two more people and they were at the bottom of the lake.”

Somehow, Aaron managed to take hold of both people and push them up to the lake’s surface.

“Someone grabbed the father and he was ok, but I was holding the boy who was blue and unresponsive.

“I carried him up to the beach and whacked him on the back a couple of times before putting him on his side and he started breathing again.”

He says by this stage his daughter had run for help, a nurse was on the scene and Hato Hone St John ambulance officers were on their way.

“If I was 10 seconds later I think it would have been a really different outcome.”

When asked what was running through his head at the time, Aaron says it was simple.

“Just get them out, get them out of the water.”

In the moments afterwards, Aaron says he went backwards in his mind, thinking about how they ended up there at that exact moment in time.

“To be in that place, and at that time – it’s pretty crazy, and really lucky.

“I just really hope they are all ok.”

He says he hopes sharing this story prompts other families to be safe around the water.

“Just don’t go in if you’re not experienced in the water, and if you are going on any type of craft then always wear a life jacket.”

A Hato Hone St John ambulance crew assessed and treated the family members at the scene.

Whangārei Area Prevention Manager, Senior Sergeant Dave Wilkinson, says there’s no doubt Aaron’s actions saved lives, however warns attempts to rescue others can put more people at risk.

“He’s a hero – there’s no two ways about it.

“He didn’t hesitate, he dove in and rescued four people and he deserves to be recognised for his actions.”

Senior Sergeant Wilkinson says everyone heading out to enjoy the water should be prepared.

“Water can be unforgiving and we want everyone to come home safe and well to their family.

“Never overestimate your abilities, many people believe their swimming ability is better than what it really is.

“If you are not experienced in the water, stay where your feet can touch the ground and take extra precautions.”

Water Safety NZ Interventions Lead, Esther Hone, says Aaron’s quick actions saved lives.

But not everyone is so fortunate.

“The instinct to save others is a natural human instinct, however around water it can be very dangerous. Every year we lose New Zealanders who drown attempting to rescue others.”

Water Safety NZ encourages all New Zealanders to know how to stay safe in, on and around water.

•              Actively supervise children in and around the water.

•              Know what your capabilities are. Even strong swimmers drown.

•              Practice your ability to float and understand what to do when things go wrong. Float on your back with your ears in the water to increase your chances of survival. Remember not to panic if you unexpectedly enter the water, relax and focus on controlling your breathing.

•              Know the environment, is it safe to go in? Dangers exist in every river and at the beach. New Zealand’s conditions can change quickly and it is important to expect the unexpected.

•              If swimming at the beach, swim between the red and yellow flags.

•              Always check weather and tide conditions before heading out.

•              When swimming, diving or boating, avoid alcohol and drugs.

•              Tell someone where you are going and when you will come back – this can be crucial information for us to locate you.

Hato Hone St John Mid North Area Operations Manager, Callum Bracey, says Northland ambulance crews frequently respond to water incidents during the summer.

“This event shows how crucial early bystander action is and knowing basic first aid.

“If more people learn how to call 111, perform CPR, and locate the nearest AED, then more lives can be saved in an emergency.”

If there is a water-related emergency, always call 111 immediately and ask for Police.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police