Category: MIL-OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Stalking will become a criminal offence punishable by up to five years in prison, following legislation passing its final reading in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says. 

“This legislation, which creates a new offence of stalking and harassment, is long overdue. 

“For far too long, stalkers have been able to harm their victims through unwanted, persistent and repetitive intrusions into their lives, causing serious emotional, psychological and economic harm, without facing legal consequences.

“Our government is committed to ensuring there are real consequences for crime and that the needs of victims are always prioritised. It underpins all our work to restore law and order.  

“Today is a victory for a wide range of New Zealanders. Anybody can be a victim of stalking and harassment. However, women are greatly overrepresented as victims by the deluded, the sexist, and the abusive. Even worse, their children are frequently exploited to surveil victims, pass on threats, or even be threatened themselves. 

“This victory would not be possible without the tireless advocacy and help of many people. I want to thank the over 600 submitters to the Justice Committee. Many of them bravely shared their own stories, experiences and the impact stalking and harassment had on their lives.

“Stalking and harassment is vicious, sinister and can be deadly. Today, Parliament has sent a clear message – this insidious behaviour has to stop.”

The new offence of stalking and harassment is defined as a pattern of behaviour which the offender knew was likely to cause the victim fear or distress.  

A pattern of behaviour is defined as two specified acts within a 2-year period. These specified acts are listed in the Bill. A Police notice system and relevant defences are also built into the new offence.  

The Crimes Legislation (Stalking and Harassment) Amendment Bill outlines a range of stalking behaviours, including:

Watching and following another person.
Unwanted communication.
Damaging another’s reputation and relationships.

The Bill will come into force in May 2026, six months after the legislation receives Royal assent, to allow for training for Police, court staff and the judiciary, and the development of information for the public.  

Source: New Zealand Government

Good afternoon. Thank you, Lachie, for the introduction.

And thanks to CentrePort for having us here.

We selected this site as it was the scene of the iReX pyramid scheme. This was one of two large spaces rented for Project iReX. By contrast, the new Ferry Holdings office is so small that there isn’t room to host you there.

That is because we have shifted from ‘wasteful spending’ to ‘waste not, want not.’

It is good to see various leaders here today, including rail and maritime unions, iwi, and the chairs, chief executives and team members of CentrePort, Port Marlborough, and KiwiRail. These ferries are for all New Zealanders, and we appreciate the support for commonsense.

Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor, Wellington Mayor Andrew Little, Greater Wellington Chair Daran Ponter, welcome and thank you for being here.

Chris Mackenzie, Heather Simpson, Greg Lowe, Katherine Rich, Captain Iain McLeod and the entire Ferry Holdings team, thank you. New Zealand owes you a debt of gratitude.

And thanks extends to the pragmatists from CentrePort, Port Marlborough, and KiwiRail too. To the teams gathered today: a genuine, heartfelt thank you for your work. My reputation is the beneficiary of your work.

These teams picked up a clarion call for fiscal discipline, without compromising on the ships and infrastructure New Zealanders want and need.

At our behest, and then with Cabinet’s support, we safeguarded the long-term future of the Interislander, preserved rail on the Strait, and saved the taxpayer billions.

In fact, we have saved the taxpayer $2.3 billion.

Ferry Holdings, the ports and KiwiRail have agreed to the programme of work to be delivered by 2029. The programme will be less than $2 billion, but the taxpayer contribution is within the $1.7 billion Cabinet allocated when we started our no-nonsense ferry solution.

That is $2.3 billion less than the $4 billion cost explosion Treasury warned of in 2023, after project managers pushed egregious, wasteful and unnecessary scope into the infrastructure programme.

And before the apologists start saying the cancelled ferries would have been here in 2026. No major construction contracts were entered under iReX, but they still said they could complete work in 2026 within two years. They were in La La Land.

It could not be done. We would have ended up, as they have in Tasmania, where ferries arrived long before the infrastructure was ready. The Tasmanian Devil was in the detail all along.

Instead, we have brought this back to the programme we agreed in 2020, before the Labour Party went away with the ‘ferries’, so to speak.

Two new ferries, replacing infrastructure where it is needed, but keeping infrastructure where it can be kept – with three years of build programme.

We will rebuild the marine infrastructure in Picton and Wellington but keep the assets that still have life left in them, and make use of the yards, buildings, and road and rail infrastructure. That saves billions.

We know this will work because the idea came from the ship masters’ union and has been assiduously tested by the ports; people in the practical business of ship and freight movement, not boffins and bean counters.

Ask yourself, who is more likely to deliver value for money, safe services, and a viable business: the people whose livelihoods are on the line, or the expensive contractors who hijacked the iReX project?

This is not a free-for-all either. Interislander is a commercial business operating in a competitive market. Funding put in by the ports and Ferry Holdings will be recovered over the 30-year life of the ferry and infrastructure assets, through port fees paid by Interislander revenue. Interislander revenue will also need to build sufficient reserves to buy new ferries in thirty years.

When this basic principle of business is taken into account, it brings into stark relief why a no-nonsense ferry solution is the only way forward. If we lumped in high costs, like they sought to do in iReX, then it will ultimately flow on to New Zealanders through higher Interislander fares.

By keeping costs low, we have saved the Interislander for road and rail and kept costs to an economic minimum for you, the consumer.

Oh and by the way, that is why we are staying in Picton and not going to Clifford Bay. Their own estimates say their project will cost $900 million, while works in Picton are a bit over $500 million. The higher the cost, the more expensive the Interislander ticket.

Instead, we thank the two ports for their willingness and straightforward approaches. We know that this attitude will be expected from the major construction contractors who will soon be joining this project: programme and cost efficiency will win those construction contracts, so put your best foot forward.

And we are still buying what New Zealanders want: two new ferries.

We are buying exactly the type of ferries people want: big enough to carry freight and families for the next 30 years, designed for comfort and freight capacity, and meeting modern safety requirements.

We will enter a new era of ship quality on the Cook Strait with these new ferries.

They will have road and rail decks. We have never wavered in our support for rail. It is not an anti-truck position, is it simply commonsense. If rail cannot haul heavy industries, then thousands of trucks as heavy as a small house would. More of those means more trucks adding road costs, road works, and road cones.

We are about balance: road and rail. We are about commonsense: using what New Zealanders built to benefit New Zealanders, not leaving rail to waste on the side of the road.

And the fixed price for these two ferries is $596 million, just a fraction more than the cancelled ferries with its famously good price – not hundreds of millions more as the naysayers have been shouting for months and months.

We have also secured a ship builder of serious quality.

Guangzhou Shipyard International is the largest modern integrated ship building enterprise in Southern China. They received the highest overall rating through Ferry Holdings’ competitive tender process, impressing with their technical expertise and ability to deliver on time and on budget.

Next week, we will travel to Guangzhou with the Ferry Holdings Chair and Ships Programme Director to acknowledge this significant agreement, not just between the shipyard and Ferry Holdings but also as a significant contribution to economic relations with China.

Finally, we intend to move forward.

Despite the risible attempt to turn iReX into a pathway to prosperity for the consultant class, hijacking a project founded on prudency in 2020; we saw through them, we kicked them out, and we took control again.

We saved $2.3 billion in the process, retained rail ferries, and have now secured the ferry contract and the path to completion in 2029. We did what we said we would do.

Work has already started. KiwiRail retired the Aratere, making way for the demolition and rebuild work. CentrePort has already built the laydown area, and they have a barge on site. Port Marlborough is about to start demolition works on the Aratere linkspan to make way for the new infrastructure.

This is a programme with real energy and excitement behind it. That focus will carry the day, because on this occasion: commonsense won.

We are, after all, charting the same course as those who came before us, albeit on new tides and with the pragmatists at the helm once again.

Thank you.

Source: New Zealand Government

New Zealand will be better protected from foreign interference with legislation passing in Parliament today, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

“Some foreign states engage in activities that are deceptive, corruptive, or coercive. These activities are intended to inappropriately manipulate our society or place undue pressure on individuals and our communities. We need to ensure our laws effectively combat those activities.

“Foreign interference from any country is unacceptable. This legislation will help to ensure that our criminal law is fit for purpose, and will better equip agencies to hold people to account.”

The Crimes (Countering Foreign Interference) Amendment Bill will: 

• Create new offences to specifically criminalise foreign interference,
• Update existing offences related to espionage and the wrongful communication of government information for conduct that is likely to prejudice New Zealand’s security or defence. 

“These changes are part of ongoing work across government to protect New Zealand and our communities from foreign interference. They also provide a clear message on how seriously we take this issue,” Mr Goldsmith says.

“Normal diplomatic activity, transparent lobbying, and other forms of open and cooperative engagement with the New Zealand Government and members of the public are always welcome and will not be affected by this legislation. Foreign interference, however, will not be tolerated.”

Source: New Zealand Government

Associate Education and Regulation Minister David Seymour welcomes the passing of a law which sets out the purpose of regulating early childhood education (ECE). It also establishes the Director of Regulation, who will administer new and improved ECE licensing criteria, among other things. 

“The new law’s first priority is child safety. It will also ensure that regulators should only put costs on parents if they’re necessary to achieve the goal. Critically, the purpose of regulating ECE is set out in law, as recommended by the Ministry for Regulation’s ECE Sector Review,” Mr Seymour says. 

“The Ministry for Regulation went straight to the source and asked the sector what’s increasing costs and limiting competition. These changes are based on feedback from providers around the country who say they’ve been frustrated by unclear rules, conflicting advice from different agencies, and unnecessary red tape.

“The Director will be responsible for licensing, monitoring, and enforcing compliance in ECE, including investigating and prosecuting where necessary. They will handle complaints and incidents, while also providing support, information, and guidance to service providers, parents, and caregivers. This raises awareness of what quality early childhood education looks like.

“The Director will be able to use regulations to deliver a graduated set of enforcement tools. This enables a more proportionate approach to addressing infringements than was previously possible.”

In carrying out their role the Director must have regard to: 

• the health, safety, and well-being of children receiving early childhood education is paramount:
• the learning and development of those children is essential and supports their readiness to transition to school:
• the role of parents and caregivers in the early childhood education of their children is recognised and supported:
• principles of good regulatory practice, including decision-making that—
• is risk-based, proportionate, fair, and transparent; and
• avoids imposing unnecessary costs on parents, caregivers, and service providers

“These reforms will make it easier to open and run high-quality centres, which means more choice and better access for parents. This is part of the Government’s wider commitment to smarter, more effective regulation that encourages growth,” says Mr Seymour.

These changes to the Education and Training Act come into force on 23 February 2026, when the Director of Regulation will be established in the Ministry of Education. The changes to transfer ECE regulatory functions to ERO require changes to legislation and are likely to be included in the Education and Training (System Reform – Part 1) Amendment Bill. This was introduced earlier this week and is expected to be implemented in 2026.

Source: New Zealand Police

District:

Source: New Zealand Police

Police can confirm one person has died following a crash in Sheffield this afternoon.

The two-vehicle crash on State Highway 73, at the intersection with Deans Road was reported at around 2:50pm.

A further two people sustained minor injuries in the crash.

The Serious Crash Unit are in attendance and the road is expected to remain closed for several hours.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area, detours are in place.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

Source: Family First

MEDIA RELEASE – 19 November 2025

Family First NZ is applauding the government’s decision to end the use of GnRHa hormones (usually referred to as ‘puberty blockers’) for vulnerable young people who are confused about their biological sex.

“The use of puberty blockers has never been appropriate – it has effectively been the trialling of experimental drugs on children, and this decision is long overdue” said Bob McCoskrie, CEO of Family First.

This decision by the government is in line with many other countries who have either restricted or banned the experimental use of puberty blockers on children suffering gender dysphoria.  This includes the United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and many states within the USA.

“With this decision, New Zealand is no longer an outlier when it comes to accepting scientific evidence and ensuring the protection of vulnerable children.”

New Zealand’s own Ministry of Health in its Evidence Brief clearly indicated that the use of puberty blockers must be restricted for those under 18 years of age.  This Brief sits alongside a growing literature of concern around puberty blockers, including the United Kingdom’s CASS Review.

Family First has previously written to the Associate Minister of Health Matt Doocey requiring action following the findings of the Ministry of Health’s Evidence Brief. This call and previous calls sadly went unheeded. Family First welcomes therefore the Cabinet having stepped in and aligning policy with the medical literature.

“This excellent decision today means that the Government is protecting vulnerable gender dysmorphic children and teenagers against the prescribing of puberty blockers that have no quality evidence of safety, efficacy or reversibility. How can a child and their parents consent to a treatment that itself is not understood nor has sufficient evidence to support its safety and effectiveness,” says Mr McCoskrie.

“We should heal the mind – not chemicalise and cut the body. The actions of the Government today will start that process. It is now vital that appropriate mental health services are engaged who are not seduced by the lies of WPATH, PATHA, InsideOut and other activist groups.”

Notes for Editors:

Family First acknowledges that the government decision to end the use of GnRHa hormones is only for new patients presenting with gender dysphoria. Family First agrees that existing users need to be transitioned from Puberty Blockers in a medically appropriate way or at the very least, have the lack of quality evidence on safety, efficacy and reversibility explained to them by the medical professional overseeing their care – and their parents / caregivers – with a view to confirming they and their parents or guardians do provide informed consent.

Family First rejects activists’ use of the suicide trope to argue children must be given experimental hormones (puberty blockers). There is absolutely no evidence that using puberty blockers reduces suicide in vulnerable young people. The CASS Review clearly stated: “Young people facing gender-related distress had no significantly different levels of suicide risk to other young people with similar levels of complex presentations” and “No evidence that gender-affirming treatment reduces suicide risk.”

A recent Finnish study found that the suicide risk in a large group of adolescents was predicted by the psychiatric problems that often accompany gender distress, not by the gender distress itself. The Finnish study said: “Although the rate of suicide [in the Finnish study] is just over four times higher among trans young people than their peers, this is explained by their more serious psychiatric problems. When these psychiatric problems are taken into account, there is no evidence that transgender people have a higher rate of suicide.” 

We encourage editors to listen to the testimony of two New Zealand ‘detransistioners’ – Issy and Zara.  These are two young woman whose experiences speak directly to why GnHRa hormones (puberty blockers) and other cross-sex hormones are harmful, as too the current approach to gender dysphoria via WPATH, PATHA, and other activist groups.  Their testimonies can be found on our website – www.FamilyFirst.nz

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government has officially ended the use of Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) motels in Rotorua, taking the number of households in CEH from its peak of over 240 households across 13 motels under the previous Government down to zero today, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says.

“For years Rotorua became the poster child of a broken emergency housing system,” Mr Potaka says.

“At its worst, entire stretches of Fenton Street were lined with emergency accommodation motels. Crime surged, families were moved around like luggage, and Rotorua was left to carry the social, economic, and reputational damage of a system that had completely lost control.

“Our Government promised change. We set a clear target to shut down Rotorua’s CEH motels by 15 December 2025.”

Mr Potaka says the turnaround reflects deliberate, coordinated action across Rotorua.

“Rotorua whānau, businesses and mana whenua had been pleading for change for years. We listened and acted. We have restored safety, dignity and confidence to a city that was forced to absorb the consequences of a failed housing model.”

HUD and MSD partnered with Visions of a Helping Hand, WERA Aotearoa Charitable Trust, Emerge Aotearoa, Ngāti Whakaue, Te Arawa, Restore Rotorua and the Rotorua Lakes Council to move every household into stable, secure homes.

Referrals into CEH motels ceased on 15 June 2025, and agencies have since worked intensively to secure permanent placements.

“With the last families rehoused, the remaining CEH motels are now preparing to return to the commercial,” Mr Potaka says.

“Rotorua is finally back on the front foot, it is safer, stronger, and open for growth. Our Government will keep backing Rotorua to reclaim its reputation, grow its tourism economy, strengthen its housing supply, and unlock new opportunities for the city.

“This progress builds on the Whakaue-Government partnership delivering 80 new affordable rental homes at Manawa Gardens, alongside the earlier 80 completed in 2024. By increasing long-term supply and moving families into warm, secure homes, Rotorua finally has more sustainable housing pathways.”

Notes for Editors:

There is information about housing in Rotorua on HUD’s website here, noting that the Rotorua Temporary Housing Dashboard- September is superseded by the information provided above

https://www.hud.govt.nz/our-work/rotorua-housing-accord 

Source: New Zealand Government

Good afternoon. Thank you, Lachie, for the introduction. 

And thanks to CentrePort for having us here.

We selected this site as it was the scene of the iReX pyramid scheme. This was one of two large spaces rented for Project iReX. By contrast, the new Ferry Holdings office is so small that there isn’t room to host you there. 

That is because we have shifted from ‘wasteful spending’ to ‘waste not, want not.’

It is good to see various leaders here today, including rail and maritime unions, iwi, and the chairs, chief executives and team members of CentrePort, Port Marlborough, and KiwiRail. These ferries are for all New Zealanders, and we appreciate the support for commonsense.

Marlborough Mayor Nadine Taylor, Wellington Mayor Andrew Little, Greater Wellington Chair Daran Ponter, welcome and thank you for being here.

Chris Mackenzie, Heather Simpson, Greg Lowe, Katherine Rich, Captain Iain McLeod and the entire Ferry Holdings team, thank you. New Zealand owes you a debt of gratitude.

And thanks extends to the pragmatists from CentrePort, Port Marlborough, and KiwiRail too. To the teams gathered today: a genuine, heartfelt thank you for your work. My reputation is the beneficiary of your work.

These teams picked up a clarion call for fiscal discipline, without compromising on the ships and infrastructure New Zealanders want and need.

At our behest, and then with Cabinet’s support, we safeguarded the long-term future of the Interislander, preserved rail on the Strait, and saved the taxpayer billions.

In fact, we have saved the taxpayer $2.3 billion.

Ferry Holdings, the ports and KiwiRail have agreed to the programme of work to be delivered by 2029. The programme will be less than $2 billion, but the taxpayer contribution is within the $1.7 billion Cabinet allocated when we started our no-nonsense ferry solution.

That is $2.3 billion less than the $4 billion cost explosion Treasury warned of in 2023, after project managers pushed egregious, wasteful and unnecessary scope into the infrastructure programme.

And before the apologists start saying the cancelled ferries would have been here in 2026. No major construction contracts were entered under iReX, but they still said they could complete work in 2026 within two years. They were in La La Land. 

It could not be done. We would have ended up, as they have in Tasmania, where ferries arrived long before the infrastructure was ready. The Tasmanian Devil was in the detail all along.

Instead, we have brought this back to the programme we agreed in 2020, before the Labour Party went away with the ‘ferries’, so to speak.

Two new ferries, replacing infrastructure where it is needed, but keeping infrastructure where it can be kept – with three years of build programme.

We will rebuild the marine infrastructure in Picton and Wellington but keep the assets that still have life left in them, and make use of the yards, buildings, and road and rail infrastructure. That saves billions.

We know this will work because the idea came from the ship masters’ union and has been assiduously tested by the ports; people in the practical business of ship and freight movement, not boffins and bean counters.

Ask yourself, who is more likely to deliver value for money, safe services, and a viable business: the people whose livelihoods are on the line, or the expensive contractors who hijacked the iReX project?

This is not a free-for-all either. Interislander is a commercial business operating in a competitive market. Funding put in by the ports and Ferry Holdings will be recovered over the 30-year life of the ferry and infrastructure assets, through port fees paid by Interislander revenue. Interislander revenue will also need to build sufficient reserves to buy new ferries in thirty years.

When this basic principle of business is taken into account, it brings into stark relief why a no-nonsense ferry solution is the only way forward. If we lumped in high costs, like they sought to do in iReX, then it will ultimately flow on to New Zealanders through higher Interislander fares.

By keeping costs low, we have saved the Interislander for road and rail and kept costs to an economic minimum for you, the consumer.

Oh and by the way, that is why we are staying in Picton and not going to Clifford Bay. Their own estimates say their project will cost $900 million, while works in Picton are a bit over $500 million. The higher the cost, the more expensive the Interislander ticket.

Instead, we thank the two ports for their willingness and straightforward approaches. We know that this attitude will be expected from the major construction contractors who will soon be joining this project: programme and cost efficiency will win those construction contracts, so put your best foot forward. 

And we are still buying what New Zealanders want: two new ferries.

We are buying exactly the type of ferries people want: big enough to carry freight and families for the next 30 years, designed for comfort and freight capacity, and meeting modern safety requirements.

We will enter a new era of ship quality on the Cook Strait with these new ferries.

They will have road and rail decks. We have never wavered in our support for rail. It is not an anti-truck position, is it simply commonsense. If rail cannot haul heavy industries, then thousands of trucks as heavy as a small house would. More of those means more trucks adding road costs, road works, and road cones.

We are about balance: road and rail. We are about commonsense: using what New Zealanders built to benefit New Zealanders, not leaving rail to waste on the side of the road.

And the fixed price for these two ferries is $596 million, just a fraction more than the cancelled ferries with its famously good price – not hundreds of millions more as the naysayers have been shouting for months and months.

We have also secured a ship builder of serious quality.

Guangzhou Shipyard International is the largest modern integrated ship building enterprise in Southern China. They received the highest overall rating through Ferry Holdings’ competitive tender process, impressing with their technical expertise and ability to deliver on time and on budget.

Next week, we will travel to Guangzhou with the Ferry Holdings Chair and Ships Programme Director to acknowledge this significant agreement, not just between the shipyard and Ferry Holdings but also as a significant contribution to economic relations with China.

Finally, we intend to move forward.

Despite the risible attempt to turn iReX into a pathway to prosperity for the consultant class, hijacking a project founded on prudency in 2020; we saw through them, we kicked them out, and we took control again.

We saved $2.3 billion in the process, retained rail ferries, and have now secured the ferry contract and the path to completion in 2029. We did what we said we would do.

Work has already started. KiwiRail retired the Aratere, making way for the demolition and rebuild work. CentrePort has already built the laydown area, and they have a barge on site. Port Marlborough is about to start demolition works on the Aratere linkspan to make way for the new infrastructure. 

This is a programme with real energy and excitement behind it. That focus will carry the day, because on this occasion: commonsense won.

We are, after all, charting the same course as those who came before us, albeit on new tides and with the pragmatists at the helm once again.

Thank you.

Source: New Zealand Government

Cabinet has agreed to introduce new safeguards on the prescribing of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues, while ensuring patients with medical needs can continue to access appropriate care, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“We are putting in place stronger safeguards so families can have confidence that any treatment is clinically sound and in the best interests of the young person or child.

“Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues play an important role in treating a range of medical conditions. We are ensuring they remain available for patients who need them for conditions such as early-onset puberty, endometriosis, or prostate cancer, where there is strong clinical evidence of benefit.”

The Ministry of Health’s evidence brief found that there is a lack of high-quality evidence that demonstrates the benefits or risks of the use of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for the treatment of gender dysphoria or incongruence. While this uncertainty persists, the Government is taking a precautionary approach.

Following public consultation, Cabinet has agreed to introduce new regulations under the Medicines Act to align New Zealand’s approach with the United Kingdom:

• New patients seeking treatment for gender dysphoria or incongruence can no longer be prescribed gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues, pending the completion of the United Kingdom’s clinical trial on their use in this context.
• Ensure existing youth gender services are maintained for young people experiencing gender dysphoria or incongruence and bringing these services together through a central, accessible online resource.

“These changes will ensure a more consistent and carefully monitored approach. This mirrors steps taken in other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, where additional safeguards have recently been implemented to ensure decisions are made in line with the best available evidence,” Mr Brown says.

The new approach will not impact patients currently receiving gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues for the treatment of gender dysphoria or incongruence, with changes applying only to new cases going forward.

“The Government expects existing youth gender services to continue supporting young people and their families, connecting them with healthcare professionals who have specialised expertise and can provide evidence-based guidance.

“These changes are about ensuring treatments are safe and carefully managed, while maintaining access to care for those who need it.”