Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand
ANZAC Day – Governor-General’s Anzac Day Dawn Service Address
Source: Government House
First Responders – Auckland Hillside Road recycling plant fire update #4
Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Insurance Council – 20% of Kiwis switch insurance providers
Source: Insurance Council of NZ
Govt vocational education reforms will cause massive disruption – CTU
Source: New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi (CTU)
The New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi is warning that the Government’s decision to adopt a new model for the vocational education and training sector will lead to massive disruptions and instability in an already fatigued sector.
“The NZCTU remains fundamentally opposed to these reforms, which will create further disruption across the sector and come off the back of a period of disruption and change in the sector over the past five years,” said NZCTU Acting President Rachel Mackintosh.
“We are concerned by the impacts that another several years of change processes will have on the sector, learners, and industries.
“Our major concern regarding the model that the Government is adopting is the risk of the creation of new private agencies competing for public funding within the sector; this model has not served New Zealand well in the past.
“Profit motives drive instability in education, and it is not a good use of resources to have multiple agencies competing for funding as they must focus attention on securing funding at the expense of focusing on delivery for learners.
“The whole process for these reforms has been flawed. There is no reason why the consultation needed to have such a narrow scope, excluding critical stakeholders, and key subject matter experts.
“The Minister’s insistence on pushing ahead with these poorly thought through reforms is likely to create several more years of instability in the sector, and more uncertainty for learners, industries, and the vocational education and training workforce,” said Mackintosh.
Energy Resources Aotearoa Welcomes New Industry-Led Work-based Learning Model
Source: Energy Resources Aotearoa
Unicef – Increases in vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks threaten years of progress, warn WHO, UNICEF, Gavi
Source: UNICEF Aotearoa NZ
Consumer NZ – Despite low confidence in government efforts, people want urgent action to lower grocery bills
Source: Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ calls for stronger regulation of supermarket pricing and promotional practices following its new survey on supermarkets.
Consumer’s NZ Grocery Survey, carried out in mid-April, reveals a strong public appetite for government action to improve access to affordable food. Many respondents called for clear and effective intervention by the government, while also expressing low confidence in its ability to deliver.
“New Zealanders are struggling to access quality food at affordable prices, and they’re not seeing meaningful change at the checkout,” says Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy.
“We’re pleased the government has kicked off a request for information process to explore how new entrants could help increase competition and deliver better grocery prices for New Zealanders. But the urgency is real.”
The survey also revealed the growing impact of rising prices on households. Thirty percent of people have needed help over the past year to get food – for example, from foodbanks, friends, family or Work and Income – based on the survey results.
The cost of living remains the highest concern for New Zealanders across all age groups and has for three years according to its Sentiment Tracker.
Low confidence in government action
The nationally representative survey shows most New Zealanders don’t believe the government is doing enough to keep food affordable.
Two-thirds of people (66%) said they have low confidence in current government policies, while just 9% expressed high confidence in government action.
Distrust in supermarkets also rising
These results provide valuable insights into more recent trends in public trust in supermarkets and the government, as shown in Consumer NZ’s Sentiment Tracker.
Source: Consumer Sentiment Tracker
Shoppers also report limited or declining trust in supermarkets to price and promote products fairly — an issue that raises additional concerns about consumer protection.
“There’s increasing discomfort with how data is being used in loyalty schemes, and whether the deals offered actually benefit the consumer,” Duffy says.
Strong support for government regulation
When asked in the Grocery Survey what could be done to keep food accessible, hundreds of respondents said food is simply too expensive and urgent action is needed. Many supported stronger regulation and clearer rules to stop misleading promotions, not just more competition in the sector.
“Consumers want the government to take a harder line — not only in promoting competition, but also in actively regulating how prices are set and how promotions are run,” says Duffy.
Shoppers adapt to high costs
Consumers are increasingly turning to cost-saving strategies, such as shopping around and buying in bulk, to deal with rising food prices and growing pressure on household budgets.
More than half of respondents said they compare prices across supermarkets – most commonly through supermarket websites or apps, rather than in-store checks. This behaviour signals the need for unit pricing and easy price comparison across retailers.
Loyalty programme perceptions are mixed
Perceptions of supermarket loyalty programmes are divided. Nearly two in five consumers feel loyalty schemes offer little or no benefit, while around one in three see them as worthwhile.
“Consumers are rightly questioning the real value of loyalty programmes,” says Duffy.
“Our research found 84% of New Zealanders use loyalty cards, but the so-called ‘specials’ don’t always reflect the lowest prices available at the checkout.”
While the Commerce Commission has not recommended a full review of loyalty programmes, it has called on supermarkets to ensure transparency in how data is collected and used, and to clearly disclose the terms of these schemes.
Time for action
“We are hearing loud and clear that shoppers feel unsupported and are losing trust – not just in supermarkets, but in the laws and systems that are meant to protect them,” Duffy says.
“To restore confidence, we need tougher regulation and greater enforcement to tackle pricing practices and market power in New Zealand’s grocery sector.”
Consumer NZ continues to push for measures that ensure fairer pricing, improved transparency, and increased competition in the supermarket industry.
Note
Consumer NZ surveyed 1,005 New Zealanders aged 18 and over online, between 10 and 15 April 2025 for the NZ Grocery Survey. The sample was provided by Dynata and reflects national population profiles based on Stats NZ data.
The Consumer NZ Sentiment Tracker is a quarterly survey that explores the interests and concerns of New Zealanders. The nationally representative survey of 1,000 respondents is conducted every three months.
BusinessNZ – More detail needed on vocational education reforms
Source: BusinessNZ
ANZAC Day – ‘Never Again’ Anzac Day Peace Picnic
Source: Peace Action Wellington
Friday 25 April 2025 – An Anzac Day Peace Picnic with the theme of ‘Never Again’ will be held at Pukeahu National War Memorial on Friday 25 April from 12:30pm-2pm. This is a family-friendly peace event operating under the tikanga of mana whenua, Te Kotahitanga o Taranaki Whanui ki te Upoko o te Ika.
“’Never again’ means no genocide,” said Valerie Morse, member of Peace Action Wellington.
“‘Never again’ is a phrase or slogan which is associated with the lessons of the Holocaust and other genocides. The slogan was used by liberated prisoners at Buchenwald concentration camp to denounce fascism.”
“We are coming together to stand against war, against fascism and to demand that we meet the aspirations of our ancestors who survived World War 1 and World War 2 for global peace and freedom,” said Valerie Morse, member of Peace Action Wellington.
“Anzac Day is portrayed as a day where the country can reflect on the horrors of war, the costs in human lives and commit collectively to never again allowing genocidal mass murder. We have to ask, is that really happening?” said Morse.
“In 2025 the Western world is actively funding a campaign of complete annihilation against Palestinians. Two million men, women and children are daily being shot, bombed from above, burned alive, bulldozed with tanks and held hostage inside a giant concentration camp called Gaza. This is paid for and provided by the US. Meanwhile, across the West fascism and far right political parties are gaining power with campaigns of hatred, exclusion, war, austerity and visions of armageddon.”
“The NZ government has failed to provide any humanitarian path for Palestinian refugees fleeing the bloodbath. It has been silent about Israel’s crimes. What’s worse is the government is now aiming to spend billions on new weapons of war and committing to fighting alongside the fascist USA in its endless wars. The new Defence Capability Plan clearly aligns NZ to the US and the Five Eyes intelligence alliance. This is incredibly dangerous for the peace and security of Aotearoa NZ and the wider Pacific,” said Morse.
The Anzac Day event is organised by Peace Action Wellington, Pōneke Anti-Fascist Coalition, VUW Socialists, Justice for Palestine, Students for Justice in Palestine, Falastin Tea Collective and Alternative Jewish Voices.