Category: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two people have been hospitalised, after a crash at the New Zealand Jetsprint Championship in Wairarapa.

The NZ Jetsprint Association confirmed the crash happened during the opening round in Featherston on Sunday morning.

The event was being held at Tauherenikau Racecourse.

Wellington Free Ambulance said two patients were transported to Wairarapa Hospital in a moderate condition, after the incident in the Tauwharenīkau River on Sunday morning.

Police said they received reports of a crash at the river, near Tauherenikau Racecourse Road, at about 10.45am Sunday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Kiingitanga spokesperson Ngira Simmonds challenged Te Pāti Māori’s leadership, questioning whether they were the right people to unite the party.

He referenced Parliament as the house of lions, but queried who the real lion was, attacking certain members of the party.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi reminded those listening that there was only one enemy – the government.

The pōwhiri at Waiatuhi marae in Rotorua concluded and a slimmed-down version of Te Pāti Māori’s AGM had about 200 people in attendance on Sunday.

On Friday evening, an email was sent to members highlighting the high court ruling temporarily re-instating Mariameno Kapa-Kingi as a party member and stating how it would impact the AGM.

The email said, to uphold the court ruling, the AGM would be limited to receiving reports from the leadership and electorates. It said no other matters would be addressed or resolved, including any resolutions or motions outside of the reports.

The closed-door AGM comes after months of turmoil that led to the expulsion of two of their six MPs – Tākuta Ferris and Kapa-Kingi – the latter of whom attended, following the court ruling.

During the pōwhiri, many speakers addressed the issue of disunity within the party and spoke of the need to stop biting each other’s backs – “ngau tuara”.

Simmonds said he stood up to speak because of the depth of his sadness and frustration, as well as the depth of support the late Māori king had for Te Pāti Māori.

In te reo Māori, he spoke of the pain the membership felt, along with te ao Māori more widely, at the turmoil that had taken place this year.

He spoke of Kiingi Tuheitia’s call for kotahitanga (unity) in 2024 and the way meetings were then held around the country, and the call was picked up by Te Arikinui Nga wai hono i te po.

Simmonds said he travelled to Parliament recently and spoke to the six MPs, and the party president and found the party wasn’t of one mind.

He asked who should unite the party now.

Simmonds referenced the saying that Parliament was the house of lions – “ko taua whare te whare o ngā raiona” – but said, if they were being honest with themselves, the question was who the lion was that had “ngau” (bit or attacked) Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, Tākuta Ferris and Oriini Kaipara.

He said the truth was the party was attacking them, but as he made the comments, he acknowledged he was staunchly still in support of Te Pāti Māori.

Simmonds said everyone was responsible for what had taken place – there was no single person at fault.

He challenged party president John Tamihere, and the party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, asking if they were the right people to unite the party and the people.

Simmonds said he had huge belief and support in the co-leaders, but the people were hurting and the party was hurting too.

He questioned who determined there were now only four Te Pāti Māori MPs and challenged the news that Tāmaki Makaurau had supported the decision.

Simmonds, who has been supporting the newest Te Pāti Māori MP, said she never agreed to expel party members, despite her Tāmaki Makaurau electorate voting in favour of the motion.

His final comments addressed how the pōtiki (the youngest) had been the leader through all this and acknowledged Hana-Rawhitit Maipi Clarke.

He said many people had voted for Te Pāti Māori and the support was available to them, but they felt the supporters weren’t being heard.

There was one pathway forward. He called for the party to hold meetings around the country and hear from its constituents.

He finished by echoing Kiingi Tuheitia’s final declarations around kotahitanga and mana motuhake.

Kaipara then rose to start his waiata tauotoko, Purea Nei, where Kapa-Kingi stood too, along with Naida Glavish, Selwyn Parata, Potaka Maipi (Maipi-Clarke’s father) and John Tamihere.

Waititi responds

Co-leader Rawiri Waititi was the final speaker and he began by acknowledging Te Arawa for hosting the event.

He then referenced the AGM during 2024, where only 20 people arrived, but this year, now there were issues, everyone came along, he said.

He said he heard the comments that had been made during the pōwhiri. He asked how they might all soften their hearts.

He agreed with Simmonds, acknowledging that it wasn’t only six MPs paddling the waka – everyone must help by picking up a paddle.

He acknowledged the pain te ao Māori were feeling, particularly in terms of the cost of living or homelessness, and yet here the members were biting at each other – “e ngaungau nei i a tatou”.

He said the focus must be turned to the correct enemy, which wasn’t each other, but the government.

He called for people to stop taking their gripes to social media and was frustrated that people wrote on Facebook, but didn’t speak to them face-to-face.

This meeting was called for the people, not for the six MPs to debate each other. It was for the people to decide, he said.

The load was heavy for the six MPs at Parliament, then they returned to their people, and they were attacked by Māori and Pākehā alike.

He said it was a “double whammy” – the government was attacking the party and Māori were attacking the party.

His comments weren’t to disparage or criticise Māori, but to awaken them.

The media and the courts weren’t going to resolve this – they had to resolve it themselves, he said.

He called for supporters to be strong and to look ahead to the future through working together. He concluded by acknowledging those who had passed in the various electorates.

Party leadership was expected to address the media at the end of the AGM.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Police Commissioner Andrew Coster says he had “absolutely no idea” about allegations staff were instructed to redirect emails about Jevon McSkimming from the Minister of Police’s office.

On Wednesday, RNZ revealed Coster had resigned as chief executive of the Social Investment Agency, after the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s damning report into police’s response to allegations of sexual offending by former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming.

Coster has not responded to several interview requests from RNZ.

In an interview with TVNZ’s Q+A on Sunday, Coster was asked about comments made by Police Minister Mark Mitchell, who earlier said 36 emails containing allegations about McSkimming were sent to his office, but he never saw them.

A protocol had been put in place for police staff in Mitchell’s ministerial office to forward the emails directly to then-Commissioner Andrew Coster’s office, and not share them with Mitchell or his political staff, he said.

On Sunday, Coster said the first he heard of the allegation was after the IPCA report was released.

“I had absolutely no knowledge of that whatsoever. I can’t validate whether that was, in fact, a protocol that was in place, but what I can say is there’s no way in the world that agency employed staff in a minister’s office are able to prevent the minister or the minister’s staff from seeing email coming in on the minister’s email address.

“The role of the agency staff is to have emails given to them by the minister’s own staff to prepare responses for the minister through the agency, there’s just, there’s just no way that police staff in Minister’s office could, could somehow intercept.”

Coster said he had seen a file note that was prepared by police in recent weeks, which said there was a conversation between the head of ministerial services – who is not in the minister’s office – and the director of Coster’s office about emails that came through in late 2023 and early 2024.

“It was ‘there are these emails. What do I do with them?’… the file note says the direction was send them through to Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura, who was overseeing the process.”

Coster did not know why the “retrospective note” was created.

“I imagine there will have been some concern across more than one Minister’s office about … where did all these emails go, and who saw them and and I assume that this paperwork was created in response to those conversations.”

On Sunday, chief operating officer Andrea Conlan said police could confirm a handwritten file note was made at the time of a discussion with the director of the office of the former commissioner on 17 January, 2024, regarding the processing of emails to the minister’s office.

The manager of Ministerial Services was asked to speak with the minister’s office staff on 11 November, 2025, to outline how the emails sent to the office were handled.

“The handwritten file note was typed up by the manager after that conversation (and some detail added from memory). This was to make a digital record in parallel with the email the manager was asked to provide the minister’s office confirming the earlier conversation (and the process followed) in writing.

“Nobody asked for the file note to be prepared, but a confirmation email was requested by the minister’s office following the conversation on the morning of 11 November.

“Following the 17 January, 2024 conversation, at the request of the director of the office of the (former) commissioner, the manager of Ministerial Services provided hard copies of the emails to the (former) commissioner’s office.”

The manager also spoke to the staff member in the minister’s office to convey the director’s instruction.

“This was not included in the file note, but these actions corroborate what was documented in the manager’s original handwritten file note.”

Mitchell had previously also defended the police staff in his ministerial office, saying they were put in an “awful situation” by the protocol, which he was unaware of.

Coster fronts

On Wednesday, RNZ revealed Coster had resigned as Social Investment Agency chief executive, after the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s (IPCA) damning report into police response to allegations of sexual offending by McSkimming.

Coster has not responded to several interview requests from RNZ. In a statement on Wednesday, he said his resignation was “a result of my acceptance of full responsibility for the shortcomings” identified in the IPCA’s report.

In an interview with TVNZ’s Q+A on Sunday, Coster said there were ministers who knew more than they admitted.

He said he briefed the then-Minister of Police Chris Hipkins in 2022, as he felt it was important Hipkins knew what he knew.

Coster said he told Hipkins that McSkimming told him he had an affair with a “much younger woman” and that the relationship “soured badly”, and she was now emailing “all sorts of people with allegations about him”.

He said the briefing was in the back of a car, while the two men were travelling in the South Island. He said he was unable to prove the conversation occurred.

“It’s simply my account.”

He said a big reflection for him was to take better notes, adding he wrongly assumed people would not “run for the hills”.

He also disputed that Mitchell was not aware of the allegations before November last year.

“There is no way I was only just telling him about this in my last couple of weeks in the job,” he said. “We had discussed this informally through 2024.”

He did not have the exact date, but said it was an “informal conversation” in the same terms as his conversation with Hipkins.

Asked why Hipkins and Mitchell would deny that, he said: “You would have to ask them. All I can say is no-one wants to be close to this.”

Coster said he was not saying others acted inappropriately, but that they knew more than they have admitted.

“There doesn’t appear to have been a full disclosure of the conversations.”

Asked why he should be trusted, Coster replied: “I acted honestly, I acted in good faith. My judgements were wrong, and I accept that.”

Politicians reject Coster’s claims

Responding to Coster’s allegations, Mitchell said it was “disappointing that, following his resignation, that came with an apology to police less than a week ago, Coster is trying to deflect and relitigate matters”.

“I firmly stand by all my statements and facts presented in relation to the IPCA report. Coster’s recollections are wrong.

“I want to make very clear that Coster never briefed me, either formally or informally, about Jevon McSkimming and [the woman had had an affair with] prior to 6 November, 2024. I would note his recollections of disclosures in the IPCA report were often found to be inconsistent and unreliable.

“If Coster’s focus is on relitigating matters, there are legal resources available to him and, if he truly believes what he is saying, nothing prevents him pursuing those.”

Mitchell said that, as a government, the focus was on “implementing the recommendations of the IPCA report to ensure this cannot happen again”.

Hipkins also denied Coster’s allegations.

“I was never briefed on Jevon McSkimming’s relationship with [the woman] during my time as minister of police or prime minister. Had I known what has now been detailed in the IPCA report, Jevon McSkimming would never have been appointed to the role.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

An Auckland family violence refuge says it would likely have had to pay for women and children to stay in hotels and motels this weekend, because their beds are full.

Shine Refuges has two safe houses, but only one of the 10 beds was available on Friday.

Presbyterian Support Northern oversees Shine and social services general manager Grenville Hendricks said family violence escalated at this time of year, when financial pressure mounts.

“We’ve got one bed and the email that went out to our after-hours staff is, if somebody comes in, you’re going to have to put them into the hotel and we’re going to have to say to our lines we’re actually full up at the moment.”

Hendricks said they would check availability at other refuges, but many were experiencing high demand.

“This is not going to be unusual,” he said. “This is going to be particularly usual and commonplace over the December period.

“We’ve got a really good arrangement with the hotels and motels, and so that helps us. We try and keep that to a minimum, because we have to carry the cost of that as well.

“What I’ve noticed is a steady increase in the numbers of people accessing the refuge, which is a bit concerning, but we do also have a spike, particularly around Christmas time,” he said.

“Over the last year or so, things have been exacerbated with the cost-of-living pressures, with the high unemployment rates, the job insecurity, there’s been more redundancies, the cost of living, the food banks [demand] has gone up as well.

“All of these things go hand in hand, because you’ll find that domestic violence is linked in with financial pressures, is linked in with mental health, is linked in with food insecurity.”

He said donations paid for the refuge and it would like the government to fund more refuge beds.

Hendricks said policy settings, such as the tightening of access to emergency housing, had impacted people needing their services.

“It’s commonsense that other parts of the system are going to have huge demand and their numbers are going to start to increase.”

Shine Refuges said one woman wanted to share her experience to help with the service’s Christmas appeal.

Hannah (not her real name) said few people knew about the violence she and her children endured, but she hoped to encourage anyone in similar situations to seek help.

She said her now ex-husband’s violence escalated over years, from breaking the furniture to other forms of control.

“Before we got married, [he] would be so kind, carrying things for me, cooking for me… but even then, he could suddenly become violent – breaking the furniture and smashing my phone,” she said. “Afterwards, he’d persuade me it wouldn’t happen again… and I would believe him.”

He gradually controlled every aspect of her life, isolating her from her friends and family to the point, she and her children had to ask permission to use the toilet.

Hannah said the turningpoint came one night, when he began strangling her.

“I thought that I was going to die,” she said. “My baby daughter was right there.

“Then he just stopped and said, ‘I nearly killed you’. At that moment, in my heart, I knew this had to stop, if not for me, for my children.

“I waited until he was asleep, went into my son’s room and told him to pack his things, that we were going. I packed my baby daughter’s things and called 111.”

Hannah said the police took them to a refuge and she was able to get back on her feet.

“Shine was amazing. My advocate arranged counselling for the children and I, a bank account, a car to get my son to school, a lawyer, clothing, food and later housing.

“When you have nothing, that means the world.”

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Family Violence: Where to get help

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

By Noam Mānuka Lazarus, Massey University journalism student

A star-studded array of celebrities are landing in Wellington next weekend, as the city lights up with events.

With cruise ships also due to bring thousands to the capital, Wellington City Council said the two days of 13/14 December would be a huge boost for the local economy, hospitality and screen sectors. 

The Australasian premiere of Avatar: Fire and Ash will held on Saturday, 13 December, with stars Kate Winslet, Cliff Curtis, Sam Worthington and Jemaine Clement, as well as film-maker James Cameron, walking the red carpet outside the Embassy Theatre.

The council said Courtenay Place and surrounding areas would get a “spring clean” for the impending global attention and for the holiday season.

Pedestrians should take extra care, as temporary bus stops and diversions were put in place, and drivers should reconsider routes and modes of transport during the events.

Christmas in the Quarters at Waitangi Park will also begin at 11am Saturday and Te Papa’s Breathe/Mauri Ora digital art experience will open.

Meanwhile, the second Black Caps v West Indies test match begins on Wednesday, 10 December, at the Basin Reserve.

WellingtonNZ chief executive Mark Oldershaw said the Avatar franchise alone had contributed $1.1 billion to New Zealand’s economy over the past eight years.

“What a weekend ahead!” Oldershaw said. “With the Basin Reserve just a short stroll from the premiere venue – the Embassy Theatre – cricket fans can walk straight from the final session of the day’s play to spot celebrities on the red carpet, enjoy dinner in the city, soak up the electric atmosphere and head off to carols in Waitangi Park.”

Mayor Andrew Little said there would be something for everyone.

“I encourage everyone to head into Wellington and get amongst the exciting atmosphere, and support our local shops and hospo, while you’re there,” he 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

Two people have been taken to hospital after two jet boats crashed in the Wairarapa.

Wellington Free Ambulance said two patients were transported to Wairarapa Hospital in a moderate condition following the collision in the Tauwharenīkau River on Sunday morning.

The Jetsprint Association confirmed the crash happened during the round one of the New Zealand Jetsprint Championship in Featherston.

Police said they received reports of the crash at the river, near Tauherenikau Racecourse Road, at about 10.45am on Sunday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand