Category: Politics

Source: Radio New Zealand

Explainer – Trade Minister Todd McClay and his Indian counterpart, Piyush Goyal, announced the recommencement of free trade negotiations as part of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s trip to the South Asian nation in March last year.

Nine months later, shortly before Christmas, the government said the trade negotiations had been concluded, achieving significant wins for several industries but limited gains for dairy.

Indeed, both sides have described the free trade agreement (FTA) as a shot in the arm for their respective economies.

The Indian government said the trade deal was a “forward-looking partnership” that promised to give labour-intensive sectors such as textiles and leather a significant boost.

For New Zealand, the agreement provided new business opportunities through enhanced access for the first time to a rapidly growing Indian middle class – expected to exceed 700 million within five years.

McClay even called the deal a “once-in-a-generation” achievement.

Below is a deeper look at what has been negotiated and announced to date.

First things first. What’s the current status of the New Zealand-India free trade agreement?

The concluded negotiations of the proposed FTA will become a ratified treaty after enabling legislation is passed by New Zealand and India parliaments.

The passing of such legislation is relatively straightforward in India, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi leads a coalition government that is united on the deal.

The path is less clear in New Zealand, after a coalition member has expressed its opposition to the agreement.

New Zealand First has invoked an “agree to disagree” clause of its coalition agreement with the National Party, with leader Winston Peters calling the deal “neither free nor fair”.

As a result, the government will need support from the opposition to make the trade deal with India a reality.

If one of the opposition parties does support the deal, National would seek to pass enabling legislation as soon as possible with an eye on the general election that must be held by the year’s end.

Once both nations have done so, the agreement could be signed sometime in the first half of the year.

Both sides have also agreed to review the agreement one year after it comes into force, which provides a mechanism to pursue further improvements in future, according to McClay.

What has been the reaction to the deal so far?

Overwhelmingly positive.

Export NZ, the NZ Forest Owners Association, the Meat Industry Association, Beef + Lamb NZ, Horticulture NZ, NZ Timber Industry Federation, Wools of NZ, have all expressed support for the deal.

The Dairy Companies Association recognised the deal was good for the country but not for dairy, with core products such as butter and cheese being left out.

However, the association welcomed the inclusion of duty-free re-exports that would see New Zealand export ingredients to India for manufacture.

ExportNZ highlighted existing prohibitive tariff barriers – typically 30-60 percent and up to 150 percent for wine – the trade deal would bring down, giving New Zealand exporters more certainty and options.

The Meat Industry Association described the deal as a “strategically significant milestone” for the country’s red meat sector.

New Zealand Forest Owners Association believed the deal would provide a platform to lift forestry export volumes over time and grow higher-value trade in processed wood and building products.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand said the announcement was positive for sheep farmers, putting the country on a level playing field with Australia.

Horticulture New Zealand said improved access to India would further diversify horticulture’s export portfolio.

The NZ Timber Industry Federation also welcomed news of the agreement, saying it created “huge opportunities” for saw-millers and wood processors nationwide.

Since the announcement before Christmas, several media commentators have also expressed their support in the deal.

New Zealand Herald business commentator Fran O’Sullivan said the free trade agreement “could reshape our exports – and our politics”.

Meanwhile, Stuff political editor Luke Malpass described the deal as “1.4 billion reasons to cheer”.

Let’s talk trade numbers

Total two-way trade between New Zealand and India, which is forecast to become the world’s third-largest economy by around 2030, was valued at $3.68 billion in the year to June 2025.

Of this, New Zealand exported goods and services valued at $1.79 billion to India over that period.

This makes India the country’s 21st-largest goods export market and fifth-largest services export market.

New Zealand’s key exports to India in year ending June 2025 were travel services ($948 million), industrial products ($265 million), forestry and forestry products ($134 million, of which logs constituted $77 million), horticulture ($118 million, of which apples were $79 million and kiwifruit $36 million), dairy and dairy products ($76 million, of which albumins was $62 million) and wool ($76 million).

While travel is the largest services export between the two countries, other key services exports from New Zealand to India include education and government services.

Key Indian imports in New Zealand in 2024 included machinery and equipment ($174 million), textiles and apparel ($147 million), pharmaceuticals ($131 million), vehicles ($62 million), precious stones and metals ($60 million) and paper products ($44 million).

What did New Zealand and India agree on in terms of tariffs in the negotiations?

The free trade agreement eliminates duty on 100 percent of Indian imports (8284 tariff lines), while 95 percent of New Zealand’s current exports will be tariff-free or benefit from reduced tariffs.

According to the Indian government, New Zealand has generally maintained tariffs of around 10 percent for around 450 lines of key Indian exports, with the average applied tariff being 2.2 percent in 2025. The tariffs are expected to be zero from day one of the agreement coming into force.

India’s labour-intensive sectors – textiles, clothing, leather and footwear – as well as automotive companies are poised to benefit significantly from this.

Meanwhile, the average tariff applied to New Zealand’s current exports to India will decrease to 3 percent.

Tariffs have been eliminated from almost all forestry products, wool, sheep meat and coal.

Current tariffs for forestry products to India range between 5.5 and 11 percent, while current tariffs on sheep meat exports are 33 percent.

What’s more, the current 33 percent tariff applied to fish and seafood exports will be eliminated on most goods over seven years.

Most of New Zealand’s existing trade in industrial products with India will be tariff-free within 10 years.

The current 33 percent tariff placed on cherries and avocados will be eliminated over 10 years.

According to the Indian government, New Zealand has agreed on focused action plans for kiwifruit, apples and honey to improve productivity, quality and sectoral capabilities of these fruit growers in India.

For this, centres of excellence will be established, which will work on capacity building for growers, provide technical support for orchard management and impart knowledge on post-harvest practices, supply chains and food safety.

In return, there will be paired market access for New Zealand exporters managed through a tariff rate quota system with minimum import prices and seasonal imports.

The current 66 percent tariff on mānuka honey exports will be cut by 75 percent over five years to 16.5 percent.

For apples, the current 50 percent tariff will reduce to 25 percent for 32,500 tonnes from day one, growing to 45,000 tonnes over six years.

For kiwifruit, the current 33 percent tariff is eliminated for 6250 tonnes from day one, growing to 15,000 tonnes over six years.

In addition, there will be a 50 percent tariff reduction on kiwifruit exports exceeding the quota to 16.5 percent as soon as the trade agreement is in place.

There is good news for New Zealand wine exporters as well, which currently face a tariff of 150 percent.

Tariffs on wine exports will be reduced by 66-83 percent over 10 years from the date the agreement comes into force, ultimately ending on a tariff of 25-50 percent and levelling the playing field with India’s existing FTA partners.

There is also a commitment by India that any better outcome for wine exporters offered in the future to any other country will automatically be extended to New Zealand.

According to the Indian government, it has offered New Zealand market access in about 70 percent of the tariff lines, while keeping almost 30 percent in exclusion.

As expected, exclusions include dairy (milk, cream, whey, yoghurt, cheese, etc), animal products (other than sheep meat) and vegetable products.

That said, the current 33 percent tariff placed on bulk infant formula and other dairy-based food preparations and the 22 percent tariff placed on peptones (a dairy-based product) will be phased out over seven years.

The free trade agreement also creates a new quota of 3000 tonnes for albumins (a milk protein product), which is above recent average export volumes to India. The 22 percent tariff will be halved on exports within the quota.

Finally, there is a commitment in the agreement that India could increase New Zealand access to dairy if the South Asian nation offered improved access to “comparable countries” – that is, similar per capita GDP, economic size and dairy production levels – in future.

However, Goyal told reporters that “India [is] never going to open up dairy” to any nation when announcing the conclusion of trade talks with New Zealand in December.

What about delays at the border and customs?

According to the government, the free trade agreement aims to streamline customs processes at the border, reduce transaction costs, increase transparency, cut red tape and provide greater certainty to New Zealand exporters.

“India Customs will release all goods within 48 hours, and, in the case of perishable goods and express consignments, endeavour to release within 24 hours,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said.

“The FTA codifies access to, and procedures around, advance rulings and a single window for customs clearance import procedures, as well as codifying the ability for traders to submit customs import documentation to India electronically.

“New Zealand exporters will have a choice of the type of proof of origin they can use, either a certificate of origin or self-declaration for approved exporters.”

What other commitments has New Zealand made?

New Zealand has made a commitment to promote investment into India, with the aim of increasing private sector investment by US$20 billion (NZ$34 billion) over 15 years.

To facilitate New Zealand investments, India will establish a bespoke New Zealand Investment Desk to assist New Zealand investors with issues that may arise across the investment lifecycle.

According to the Indian government, a rebalancing clause is in place in the trade agreement “enabling India to take remedial measures should delivery on investment be below commitment levels”.

What about healthcare, pharmaceuticals or traditional medicines?

According to the Indian government, the free trade agreement boosts India’s pharmaceuticals and medical devices sector by making provision for faster regulatory access.

“The FTA streamlines access for pharmaceuticals and medical devices by enabling acceptance of GMP and GCP inspection reports from comparable regulators, including approvals by the US FDA, EMA, UK MHRA, Health Canada and other comparable regulators,” the Indian government said.

“These will reduce duplicative inspections, lower compliance costs and expedite product approvals, thereby facilitating smoother market access and supporting growth of India’s pharmaceutical and medical devices exports to New Zealand.”

In addition, the Indian government says, New Zealand has signed an annex in the agreement to facilitate trade in Ayurveda, yoga and other traditional medicine services with India.

“It gives centre stage to India’s AYUSH disciplines (Ayurveda, yoga and naturopathy, Unani, Sowa-Rigpa, Siddha and homeopathy) alongside Māori health practices,” the government said.

Ayurveda is a traditional form of medicine based around herbs and massage that is popular with the Indian community in New Zealand.

But, as Medsafe has told RNZ in the past, “there are no approved Ayurvedic medicines in New Zealand”.

New Zealand’s health agency does not directly regulate Ayurvedic practitioners or their practices and routinely publishes reports around concerns on products such as Ayurvedic medicines on its website to keep the public and health practitioners informed.

Any other regulatory provisions worth highlighting?

According to the Indian government, there’s a binding commitment in the free trade agreement from New Zealand to amend its laws within 18 months to provide EU-level protection for India’s geographical indications (GIs).

“The current GI Law of New Zealand only allows for India’s wines and spirits to be registered,” the Indian government said.

“Commitment is now in place to taking all steps necessary including amendment of its law to facilitate the registration of India’s wines, spirits and ‘other goods’, a benefit that was accorded to the EU by New Zealand,” it said.

“Timelines for this are 18 months from agreement entering into force.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade noted this in its summary of the agreement.

“New Zealand agreed to undertake a review of GI protections with a view to matching protections we agreed with the European Union, including to allow for protections of individual GI names,” the summary said.

“That process will start when the agreement is signed, and we will seek public input.”

On immigration, what has been included in the free trade agreement?

In a nutshell, the agreement includes enhanced provisions for student mobility, post-study opportunities, skilled employment pathways and working holiday visas in the negotiated deal.

Accordingly, 1000 Indians aged 18 to 30 years old will be granted multiple-entry 12-month working holiday visas each year, giving them an opportunity for global exposure, skills acquisition and people-to-people linkages.

In addition, eligible Indian students graduating from a New Zealand institution will be eligible for a post-study work visa, ranging from two years for a bachelors’ degree, three years for STEM bachelors and masters, and four years for doctorates.

The free trade agreement codifies the right for Indian students to work for up to 20 hours a week (within the current domestic policy of up to 25 hours).

The trade deal also simplifies entry arrangements for Indian service providers and professionals for short periods of stay, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“This includes an equivalent of 1667 temporary employment entry (TEE) visas per year for a number of occupations where New Zealand has a skills shortage such as certain ICT fields, engineering and specialised health services, as well as certain iconic Indian professions such as Ayush (Indian traditional medicine) practitioners, music teachers, chefs and yoga instructors,” the ministry said.

“These TEE visas are for three years and the total number available under the commitment is capped at no more than 5000 at any one time over that three-year period.”

The ministry did not anticipate this to prompt a surge in applications.

“This [1667 TEEs per year] represents less than 6 percent of the current average total number of skilled visas issued to Indian nationals each year by New Zealand,” the ministry said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A funeral service to publicly mark Sir Tim Shadbolt’s life and legacy will be held in Invercargill this afternoon.

Tributes have been flowing in for the former mayor of Waitematā and Invercargill since he died last week, describing him as a colourful and charismatic character who championed local politics and his city.

Sir Tim was made a Knight Companion of New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2019 New Year’s Honours List for his services to local government and the community.

The funeral service will be held at Invercargill’s Civic Theatre from 2pm with doors open from 1pm.

The service will also be livestreamed on the Invercargill City Council’s website.

After the service, the funeral procession would leave for the Invercargill Airport – home to the Sir Tim Shadbolt Terminal, via Tay Street and Clyde Street, before making its way to Eastern Cemetery for a private interment.

Anyone who wants to pay their respects is invited to line the streets for the procession.

Sir Tim first came into the national spotlight as a student activist in the 1960s, drawing attention to issues including apartheid and the Vietnam War.

He donned the mayoral chains for the first time in Waitematā in 1983, holding them for six years.

He tried his luck again in 1992, standing for mayor in Auckland, Waitākere and Dunedin.

While he was unsuccessful in those races, he breezed into the top job the following year during a by-election in Invercargill.

He also dabbled in national politics, becoming the New Zealand First candidate for the Selwyn by-election in 1994 – less than a day after joining the party.

Sir Tim served in Invercargill until 1995, but was re-elected in 1998 and held onto the mayoral chains until an unsuccessful tilt in 2022.

With the city in decline, he championed the Zero Fees scheme at the Southland Institute of Technology, in a bid to attract more to the south and keep more young people in the region.

Major buildings including Stadium Southland were built during his term, and others including the Civic Theatre were refurbished.

On the screen, he competed on Dancing with the Stars, broke the world record for the longest television interview – just over 26 hours – and made cameo appearances in the 2017 remake of Goodbye Pork Pie and The World’s Fastest Indian.

He became known as the man who put Invercargill on the map, with Invercargill Airport officially naming the Sir Tim Shadbolt Terminal last year to mark his legacy.

In a statement announcing his passing, his partner Asha Dutt said they lost the cornerstone of their family and the man who devoted himself to promoting Invercargill for almost 30 years.

“Tim was a kind-hearted man who cared deeply about the people around him. He was a champion for the underdog and an active political campaigner from his student days of anti-war protest, his activism for Māori rights, and his fight to keep the Southern Institute of Technology and Zero Fees autonomous.

“Tim will be remembered with gratitude, respect, and affection for his commitment to the south and his passion for life.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Producers’ Guild says a levy on the big content streaming companies would be a “game changer” for the country’s screen production industry.

Labour has proposed implementing a streaming levy should it win the election, with the revenue reinvested into local productions.

Its broadcasting and media spokesperson Reuben Davidson said local content had strong economic and cultural value.

“A levy on streamers would ensure big international streaming operators fairly invest directly in local content,” he said.

Irene Gardiner, president of the Screen Production and Development Association (Spada), said as little as five percent of the big streamers’ New Zealand revenue would be worth $25 million a year.

“It can be quite a game changer,” she said.

“The problem that has been caused by the arrival of the streamers on local production everywhere in the world is that it’s massively taken out the advertising revenue which paid for a lot of local content.”

Gardiner, who is also on the RNZ board of governors, said two years ago there were “massive local production cutbacks” at the major New Zealand networks.

“A lot of industries are contracting, and it’s tough. We’re no different in that sense. But the sense where we are different is that it’s the New Zealand voice, and I think that’s at the heart of it,” she said.

“If the streamers just go on and on and on, unregulated all around the world, yes sure we here in New Zealand, we will have all the content in the world, and how wonderful will that be? Except that you could have a situation where there’s almost no local New Zealand content within that, which is such a loss, in terms of national identity and all that side of life.”

Australia also has local production quotas, which requires platforms to invest a minimum amount of money in local content.

However, Gardiner said this would be difficult to impose in New Zealand due to international trade agreements.

“A levy may work better in New Zealand, but look it could even be a hybrid where we invite people to do x number of commissions a year, but if they don’t want to, they pay the levy,” she suggested.

RNZ has contacted Paul Goldsmith, the Minister for Media and Communications, for comment.

Last year, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage released a series of proposals to modernise regulation and content funding arrangements.

They included requiring TV manufacturers to prominently display local media services, and requiring streaming platforms to invest in local content and make it ‘discoverable’ on their platforms.

In October, the government passed legislation to scrap advertising restrictions for broadcasters on Sundays and public holidays.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Explainer – Elon Musk’s X has been in the line of fire over Grok AI deepfakes – with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s office calling them “concerning.”

What’s going on? And is there any role New Zealand should play in how it uses X to disseminate information?

Recent non-consensual adult content created by X’s AI chatbot Grok has led some to call for a boycott of using X.

X announced on Thursday it would make changes to its AI chatbot after the UK joined many countries in planning to investigate the company.

However, the reputational damage X has been accumulating during Musk’s takeover of the company may be lasting.

It’s still a popular forum for many New Zealand politicians and public agencies to use, but some left-leaning political parties have mostly abandoned it. A human rights group has called for greater regulation of X in New Zealand, while the Free Speech Union is calling that censorship.

Here’s what’s got people concerned about X and Grok, and where New Zealand politicians stand on it.

What is Grok AI doing exactly?

Formerly Twitter, the social media platform X was bought by the world’s richest man Musk in 2022.

X launched its AI chatbot Grok in late 2023, and recently it came out that users could edit an image to create deepfake nude or partially clothed images.

At some points earlier in January, hundreds – perhaps thousands – of requests were coming in to change photos of women to put them in bikinis and other suggestive poses every hour, separate analyses by Bloomberg News, Reuters and The Guardian all found.

The company soon said it limited the image function to paid subscribers, although NBC News and others have reported that the standalone app and the Grok section of X is still able to generate the deepfake images.

Hundreds of examples of non-consensual Grok AI creations have since come out, and the chatbot has been blocked by Indonesia and Malaysia and under investigation in the UK.

The company now appears to be altering course after the backlash.

“I have been informed this morning that X is acting to ensure full compliance with UK law,” UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer told parliament today, adding that the government would take further measures if needed.

Musk posted on X today that Grok will always comply with the law of the countries in which it operates, and also said that he was “not aware” of any naked underage images created by Grok: “literally zero”.

“When asked to generate images, [Grok] will refuse to produce anything illegal, as the operating principle for Grok is to obey the laws of any given country or state,” he said.

Musk has not yet made further statements about how exactly Grok will be changed.

New Zealand has been described as “lagging behind” on policing deepfake content and needs enforceable standards, an organisation working to prevent child sexual exploitation told RNZ earlier this week.

Auckland media commentator and journalist Russell Brown said the recent “undressing” posts on X crossed a line.

“It strikes me it’s only a couple of months ago that these ‘nudify’ apps were regarded as totally marginal and now it’s a front and centre service available from X’s flagship product, which is Grok.

“The fact that the company could entirely withdraw that part of the service and say, ‘no undressing app,’ and they’ve made it clear that they won’t do that, it really should raise some questions.”

ACT MP Laura McClure’s member’s bill to criminalise non-consensual sexually explicit deepfakes was pulled from the ballot last year and will be considered by Parliament in the future.

There have been calls to remove Grok from app stores, while Musk himself claimed it was the number one app in New Zealand in a recent post.

Grok hits #1 in New Zealand https://t.co/RPoQilXMnU

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 10, 2026

Are NZ politicians still using X?

World politicians often use X to make announcements and statements, and New Zealand is no different.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon regularly communicates on X, as well as many other social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.

In a statement to RNZ on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s office said Luxon was aware of concerns about Grok.

“The use of Grok in this manner is concerning. We are actively monitoring developments.”

Many official agencies such as MetService, NZTA and NZ Defence Force still use X.

Labour Party leader Chris Hipkins does post on X, although the official Labour X account hasn’t posted since May 2025.

“Political parties and MPs use a range of social media platforms,” said Reuben Davidson, Labour’s spokesperson for media and digital economy.

“The Labour Party has chosen to prioritise channels where we can engage constructively with New Zealanders and reach the audiences we are focused on.”

The ACT party is also a frequent user of X, but in a statement posted Wednesday condemned deepfakes, while also saying regulating companies or the technology was a step too far.

“The harms are very real, and the problem is not limited to X,” the party’s official account posted on X. “New Zealand law should target the individuals who are engaging in abusive behaviour.”

“We should target abusers directly, rather than shutting down tools used legitimately for news or satire.”

Explicit deepfake abuse is rife, the harms are very real, and the problem is not limited to X.
New Zealand law should target the individuals who are engaging in abusive behaviour.

— ACT New Zealand (@actparty) January 13, 2026

NZ First leader Winston Peters is also a regular user of X, as is the party’s official account.

The Green Party’s official account hasn’t posted since 2024, while Te Pāti Māori last posted in June.

Many other politicians post announcements or statements regularly on X, including Wellington Mayor Andrew Little and Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown.

X-slash-Twitter has wielded a heavy influence on social media over the years, despite its relatively smaller user base than other social networks.

It’s difficult to find precise figures, but research by Meltwater/We Are Social for 2025 showed Twitter was only the 11th most used social platform, with just 23.8 percent of internet users on it, while DataReportal said it estimated 15.2 of eligible audience (those over 13) used it.

In InternetNZ’s 2024 Internet Insights report, X was among sites like Discord and Mastodon that it lumped in with the description “most New Zealanders have never used these social media platforms”. It found 73 percent of New Zealanders never used X.

“Most New Zealanders would agree that the creation and distribution of non-consensual or abusive AI-generated images is utterly unacceptable and raises serious questions about the responsibility of platforms to create a safe online environment,” Labour’s Davidson said.

He said he has proposed a member’s bill that would hold platforms more accountable for harmful content, although it has not been pulled from the ballot.

In addition to McClure’s deepfakes bill, Education Minister Erica Stanford has also promised regulatory changes over social media harm in response to calls for a minimum age of 16 to access social media similar to what Australia has recently instituted.

Has X gone too far?

Brown said that X has lost its usefulness to many people and that some New Zealand accounts have been leaving the platform.

“That’s the tragedy of it. The old Twitter had come to fill a kind of important niche for those kind of institutional accounts and it was a way to reach the public quickly with information. And now you’re asking the public to wade through a sewer to get there. It’s broken now.”

“I think the discussions are being had” about leaving X, he said. “I think there are public groups who are on X who are having the discussion, I think.”

Free speech and human rights groups are also staking out sides on whether to rein in X.

Rights Aotearoa put out an open letter to Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith calling for regulation of X, while the Free Speech Union blasted the rise of “censorship infrastructure.”

Rights Aotearoa said it was “deeply concerned” about X’s Grok tool.

“This represents a serious and immediate threat to human dignity, privacy, and safety,” its chief executive Paul Thistoll said. He said Grok’s image generation raised concerns about image-based sexual abuse, child safety and gendered and identity-based harm.

“The non-consensual creation and potential distribution of intimate imagery constitutes a form of sexual violence with severe psychological and reputational harm to victims.”

However, Free Speech Union chief executive Jillaine Heather condemned calls to block X by the UK and warned New Zealand against doing the same.

“Today it’s X for failing to police Grok. Tomorrow it’s any platform a government decides is insufficiently compliant. Australia already banned everyone under 16 from social media last month. Not from illegal content. From platforms entirely. Safety rhetoric, expanded control.

“Attempts to use child safety as a pretext to ban, restrict, or de-platform X would represent a serious breach of free expression and would be met with determined resistance. If the New Zealand government joins this international suppression effort, it will have a fight on its hands.

“Free speech is not a privilege granted by governments when it suits them,” Heather said. “It is a fundamental right and it will be defended.”

But Rights Aotearoa’s Thistoll said before today’s announcement that the government should act.

“The technology exists. The harm is occurring,” Thistoll said. “The government has both the power and the responsibility to act.”

Brown said what has happened to X is also part of a wider shift away from platforms like Facebook and broad concerns about “enshittification” of the internet and the polarisation of politics sweeping across all platforms.

“I think a lot of people are moving away from social media altogether, and exactly what solution they’ve found for keeping in touch with people I think varies from person to person.

“With what’s happened with Grok and these non-consensual undressing apps, I think we actually have reached the point where decisions need to be made.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Ministry of Defence is looking to companies and experts for advice on a potential plan for surveillance drones to scour the Pacific.

As part of New Zealand’s Defence Capability Plan released last year, it said there would be a greater focus on uncrewed technology such as drones.

The purpose of the aircraft would include persistent maritime surveillance to protect the sea under New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone and support Pacific partners.

The Ministry of Defence has put out a tender for advice from companies and academics regarding the technology.

In a statement to RNZ, the ministry said the work was attached to its long-range drone project in the capability plan which had an indicative cost of between $100 and $300 million.

However, the ministry said drones might not be the only option for the surveillance work.

“This project falls within the indicative investment of long-range remotely piloted aircraft outlined in the 2025 Defence Capability Plan, although there may be other solutions.”

Information from the workshops would help to develop an indicative business case for the project later this year.

They were set to be held at the end of this month.

Defence Minister Judith Collins declined to comment.

In April last year, the government announced it would spend $12 billion over the next four years for a “modern, combat-capable” New Zealand Defence Force.

It was also announced New Zealand’s defence spending would lift from just over one percent of GDP to more than 2 percent in the next eight years.

Defence spending was last at two percent of GDP in the early 1990s.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

RBNZ governor Anna Breman is one of the international central bankers who have signed a letter supporting US counterpart Jerome Powell, the Reserve Bank has confirmed.

Powell has been back to maintain the Federal Reserve’s independence after being served criminal charges by the Justice department.

President Donald Trump has been pushing for the central bank to drop cash rates.

The letter signed by 14 central bankers so far says Powell has served with integrity and the independence of the bank is a cornerstone of economic stability.

More to come..

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Uncertainty around compensation payments for the HMNZS Manawanui marine disaster in Samoa is growing, with the paramount chief of one of the affected villages questioning whether money from the New Zealand government should be distributed at all.

Atanoa Tusi Fa’afetai, the paramount chief of Maninoa village in the district of Si’umu, has repeatedly stated that the sum of SAT$10 million (NZD$6 million) paid by New Zealand to his government over its sunken navy vessel off the south coast of Upolu was insufficient. Other residents and matai (chiefs) also believe this.

Following details revealed in letters between the Samoa and New Zealand governments, Atanoa has said returning the sum may be a better option so the Samoa government – in collaboration with affected communities like his – can put together a comprehensive compensation claim.

The Manawanui ship crashed into Tafitoala reef in October 2024 and spilled diesel and pollutants into the water. Residents from Maninoa, and neighbouring villages like Tafitoala in the Safata district, watched as it burned and eventually sunk less than 2km from their homes. It remains on the reef today.

Details disclosed in a diplomatic exchange between New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Samoa’s former prime minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa show her government requested a payment of SAT$10 million (NZD$6 million) to its counterpart over the incident last May. The letters, released under the Official Information Act, also show both governments agreed the payment was made “without reference to questions of liability”

The letters said the payment resolved all issues arising from the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui between the two governments “other than issues in relation to the anticipated wreck and reef assessments”. It also said the Samoa government would not seek further payment from New Zealand “in relation to these resolved matters” and that the payment is in the “context of friendship between New Zealand and Samoa”.

Atanoa was deeply disappointed at the agreement.

He believed Fiame’s government had let people down by signing off on the agreement. Fiame is now an independent MP in parliament following her party’s loss at the September general election.

“We didn’t know anything about what the government has been doing to represent us,” Atanoa said.

“We are the people that really live in and [are] affected with the impact of this potential hazard.”

He said as details had emerged over what the previous Samoa government had agreed to, it became clear those directly impacted hadn’t been consulted.

“I don’t really blame New Zealand for agreeing to what’s being done because the government represents us. But in order to have full representation of our district, we need to collaborate and deliberate on the matters, to make sure that our intentions are being voiced and our perspective as well.

“I feel really, you know, offended about the whole situation here from the previous administration.

“So I will stand firm not to distribute the money, because they’re still questioning this whole thing.”

Fagailesau Afaaso Junior Saleupu, a matai from the neighbouring village of Tafitoala in the Safata district, also criticised the conduct of the former government.

He said a recent meeting with government officials over the compensation process revealed the population records they’d used for the district were from 2003.

Like Atanoa, he did not believe the SAT$10 million payment was enough, particularly as he believed the wreckage of the ship should be removed. Atanoa also believed it should be removed.

Both men rejected comments from Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster, the previous government minister in charge of the Manawanui response, who said the wreck should be turned into a dive attraction.

“The solution from our village [is that] we know we need to remove the wreck from there because we are thinking of the future,” Fagailesau said.

He said since the disaster, locals had noticed a significant decline in fish and marine life they depended on for food and income.

“The problem is because the decision-making is by the people who are not affected and the information they collected is not necessary for what exactly happened.”

Fiame previously told RNZ Pacific she signed off on what was recommended by her officials.

At the end of last year, prime minister Laaulialemalietoa Polataivao Schmidt – who took over from Fiame in September – said the government intended to make payments to affected people by early this year.

However, both Fagailesau and Atanoa said the government had told leaders in each of their districts there will be more meetings over the process.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Local Government New Zealand wants to ensure there’s financial support to help some communities meet proposed emergency management standards.

The government has introduced a new Emergency Management Bill following the review of the 2023 North Island severe weather events.

It proposes a higher minimum standard of emergency management for councils around the country to respond to bad weather.

Local Government New Zealand supported the change, but its president, Gisborne mayor Rehette Stoltz, said for some parts of the country it could be difficult financially.

“Some regions might need some government support to get them there and that is something we will raise in a submission to the government.”

Stoltz said some regions were not as prepared as others due to not having faced significant weather events.

She said there was concern in the lobby group about the effect rates caps could have in responding to natural disasters.

“That is a concern we will raise with the government, they have said that there would be possibilities for an exemption in severe weather events.”

Infometrics data Stoltz cited said last year New Zealand experienced 72 days with a region under a state of emergency – the third longest period in the past 25 years.

“Those events are happening more and more and communities are paying for it emotionally, but mostly financially.”

Submissions on the new Emergency Management Bill close 3 February.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Charismatic, gregarious, exuberant, a joker, a showman, a larrikin: such are the epithets for long-serving mayor Tim Shadbolt, who died age 78 last week.

His public funeral service was due to be held in Invercargill on Friday January 16, 2pm at the Civic Theatre.

He would be remembered there not only for a life of service to the community but for his own style, charisma and upbeat charm.

A mayor for about 32 years – split between two cities and three incumbencies – Sir Tim was a dedicated champion of local politics, but was perhaps remembered more for his colourful life and antics.

Coming to prominence as a young anarchic Vietnam war protester, he was confident the movement would have a lasting legacy as an examination of colonialism.

As an activist he was famously arrested 33 times – including for refusing to pay a $50 fine after using the word ‘bulls…’, and spending 25 days in Mt Eden.

This was allegedly when he wrote his first published book, Bulls… and Jellybeans, published in 1971 independently by Alister Taylor – who was working for the publishing house that previously rejected it.

The student activist soon became something of a political butterfly, running for both New Zealand First and the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, and for mayoral, council or government roles in multiple locations.

Richard King worked with Sir Tim as Invercargill council’s chief executive for 20 years, but first knew him in those student days, having gone along to his rallies, saying they were “quite boisterous”.

He related a tale his friend told him from when he first moved from activist to politician, appearing in court on “various charges”.

“The judge looked up and said ‘you again, Shadbolt’, and he’d just been elected mayor of Waitematā, so the judge said ‘I suppose I’m going to have to call you Your Worship now’.

“Tim looked at him and said ‘tell you what, I’ll Honour you, and you can Worship me’. And the case didn’t go that well for him.”

Having worked as a concrete contractor, in the ’80s Shadbolt celebrated that first successful election by towing a concrete mixer behind his mayoral car in the annual Christmas parade.

He later repeated the stunt as mayor of Invercargill, this time towing his mixer behind a mobile green couch for charity – and later swapped the mixer for electric scooters in the southern Christmas parade.

But perhaps his most well remembered media appearance was in cheese ads in 1994, where an increasingly manic Sir Tim – then simply mayor Shadbolt – repeated back the line ‘I don’t mind where as long as I’m mayor’ – a self-deprecating dig, perhaps, at his shift from Auckland to the less tropical climes of Invercargill.

That kind of humour was a trademark of his – and was to his benefit on Dancing with the Stars in 2005, where he came third despite a couple of tumbles.

“I might have had a little lie down and a cup of tea,” he said of one of those falls.

The man certainly had a way with words.

At 30, he secured the Guinness world record for the longest political speech on a soapbox.

Some 35 years later in 2012, he set another Guinness world record – for the longest TV interview by successfully reaching his goal of 26 hours on the regional TV freeview channel CUE, across from interviewer Tom Conroy.

Topics covered included his cameo on The World’s Fastest Indian and supposedly meeting Sir Anthony Hopkins’ “leg double” and “big toe double”, but after reaching 26 hours – about 2am – the mayor was cut off.

Speaking to RNZ the next day – mere hours after also launching New Zealand’s Got Talent he credited the Guinness official’s advice with keeping his vocal chords up to scratch.

“He said ‘you’ve got to crush up fresh pineapple’, he said ‘that’s the way, that’ll get you through it’, and it seemed to work, so that was a lucky break.”

The marathon chat in 2012 raised more than $10,000 for St John Ambulance – one of the mayor’s many charitable efforts.

But big personalities often clash, and Sir Tim also had his share of rivalries and public clashes. Despite occasional acrimony, he clearly wanted to continue championing hard workers, underdogs, and the South.

As an example, criticising his own deputy mayor Neil Boniface in 2009 for a drink driving incident – and on the eve of a chilly trip to Norway – Sir Tim called Invercargill, by comparison, “a paradise, the mediterranean of the South Pacific”.

In 2021, he claimed his deputy Nobby Clark and chief executive Clare Hadley had refused for years to have the council pay for a smartphone worth more than $300 because he was “considered unable to fully use all the features”.

They appeared on paper to relent in 2020 with a $951.20 iPhone 8+ with accessories, but the mayor claimed he never received it – and the council refused to confirm or deny if it was delivered to him.

The council also refused that year to pay for Shadbolt’s annual mailout of Christmas cards on the ratepayer’s dime – despite having done so since the 1980s.

The council argued the auditor-general would find that year’s card – featuring a smiling Tim Shadbolt – inappropriate to fund as it could be interpreted as promoting an individual, rather than the city.

In an email, Sir Tim described the disagreement as “existential”. The compromise eventually arrived at was an e-card, with the savings going towards the mayor’s Christmas dinner.

He was ousted as mayor the following year, after tensions at the council – apparently stemming from his increasing inability to carry out duties.

His driver’s licence had been suspended and he was mostly refusing media interviews, but he remained the confident charmer.

Already New Zealand’s longest-serving mayor at the time, he admitted ahead of the election his “golden years” may be over and he wasn’t enjoying the job like he used to – but if he won again he could “probably do another three or four terms”.

But it wasn’t to be, with former deputy Nobby Clark taking office as mayor on October 15, beating a field of nine other candidates and Sir Tim coming in fourth.

Longtime colleague and friend Richard King, who remembered Sir Tim as having “oozed charisma”, said in the end the man was “crushed by the bureaucracy and political opposition, but he really had a good run”.

“He was the sort of person who could walk into a room without knowing anybody and five minutes later 95 percent of them were eating out of his hand.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Comedian Gary McCormick, a lifelong friend of Sir Tim Shadbolt, says the mayor was fearless but armed with “a landmark smile and laugh” that won people over.

The former Invercargill and Waitematā mayor, who was also an activist and student radical, died on Thursday at the age of 78.

McCormick told Summer Times it was a sad day for New Zealand.

He said he was sitting looking at photos of Sir Tim who did some 60 shows with McCormick around the country.

“He had that landmark smile and laugh. It was impossible for him to be depressed, whether he was in jail, arrested by the police or undergoing the rigours of a council meeting.”

McCormick said Sir Tim had a rare gift for leadership.

“He led by example, he was charismatic and he cut through the nonsense,” he told RNZ. It was a style befitting a man who had been in trouble as a student for using the word “bullshit”.

“There was no bullshit about him. He had a strange kind of fearlessness. He was not awed by people in high positions, whether that was police or anyone else. In jail, everyone liked him.”

McCormick met Sir Tim at a protest in front of Parliament when both were arrested by police in the mid-1970s.

“I was the first into the paddy wagon. My parents were deeply shocked, watching on TV at home in Titahi Bay. Tim was next in. We spent the day in the cells and became friends. We were eventually let go by a wise magistrate who thought if you can’t protest at Parliament, where can you protest.”

‘One of the great characters of his generation’

Sir Tim was one of the “characters of his generation”, former prime minister Helen Clark says.

Speaking to RNZ, she said Shadbolt would have a go at anything and do it fearlessly and in good humour.

“I think we miss some of the characters now in politics, that humour – it has all got a bit more pedestrian.”

Clark remembered Sir Tim from his days as a student activist on the Auckand University campus in the late 1960s. He had formed a political party calling itself the Auckland University Society for the Active Prevention of Cruelty to Politically Apathetic Humans – or AUSA POCPAH

“They used to dress in big capes, looking like the Wizard of Christchurch, and he had an alsatian dog.

“You could never forget him, with his look and capes and dog.

“He was a very good humoured guy who did crazy things.”

Clark said he would take on any cause or role fearlessly.

“When he stood for the mayoralty of Waitakere council, I think a lot of people were probably aghast. But he formed ‘Tim’s Team’ and it did very well for a while.

“And while his last years at Invercargill may not have been great for him, he always had the courage to give things a go. He was one of the great characters of his generation.”

Huge influence on Southland’s fortunes

The former chief executive of Invercargill City Council says Sir Tim Shadbolt was central to efforts to turn around the city’s fortunes.

Richard King met Sir Tim at a rally in his student activist days, and later worked with him for more than 20 years.

He told Morning Report Invercargill was once the fastest-declining city in Australasia, but Sir Tim helped attract jobs and people, in part by championing free tertiary fees.

“That had a huge boost to the city. You had more students spending money, you had people coming like outside investors, buying up houses so they could rent them to the students, and many students decided to stay,” he said.

Sir Tim loved people and was the kind of man who would “give you the shirt off his back.”

He could connect with anyone within minutes, King said.

“He was the sort of person [who] he could walk into a room without knowing anybody – and five minutes later, 95 percent of them were eating out of his hand,” he said.

“When he came to Invercargill, people really rallied around and supported him big time.”

Although political opposition later took its toll, Sir Tim had a good run, King said.

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