AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 2, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Radio New Zealand

Legislation to ease alcohol restrictions on public holidays has passed in its third and final reading at Parliament – and could be passed into law in time for this Easter weekend.

It is possible it may receive royal assent on Thursday, meaning some restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday alcohol sales could be gone as soon as this long weekend.

The member’s bill from Labour MP Kieran McAnulty amends the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow premises that are already open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning and Christmas Day to sell alcohol under normal licence conditions.

Currently, bars or restaurants can only sell alcohol if the patron is “residing or lodging” on the premises, or “present on the premises to dine”.

McAnulty said the legislation would clear up a “confusing law” that had been in place for a long time.

“Just because something’s always been that way doesn’t mean that that’s a good reason to keep it,” he said.

The general requirement is that patrons have to order a ‘substantial meal’, but McAnulty said that was not defined, and patrons were not required to eat it anyway.

“That is a bit of a farce of a situation. So all we’re doing is clearing it up that those businesses that are already able to operate anyway can do so under normal conditions, and those that can’t like off-licences and supermarkets, they remain restricted, but for those on-licences that are already operating, they can do so normally.”

McAnulty said the timing was a “sticking point,” but as some government bills were scheduled to receive royal assent on Thursday he was hopeful his could be included alongside those.

“It’s quite fortuitous timing, I think, the way that it’s played out. And really, we’re at the mercy and availability of Her Excellency, and I’m not of a mind to flick a text to the governor-general and ask for a solid, so I’m quite happy with the way that it’s played out, and hopefully it does follow through.”

Parliament treats alcohol legislation as a conscience matter, meaning MPs vote according to their personal view or what they think is best for their electorate or community, rather than as a party bloc.

McAnulty’s original intent was to allow any premises that was allowed to operate on those public holidays to sell alcohol, which would have included supermarkets but not bottle shops.

But he said it was changed to keep things simple, and only apply it to on-licence venues.

“It’s proven to be the right decision, because we’ve maintained enough support in Parliament,” he said.

“I know that if we’d stuck with off-licences or supermarkets, there are people that would have withdrawn their support, and it probably wouldn’t have passed.”

An amendment proposed by ACT MP Cameron Luxton has been adopted into the bill.

Luxton’s amendment means bars can open after midnight on Anzac and Easter holidays.

The ACT MP was hopeful it would be in place in time for the Super Round at Christchurch’s new stadium, which will see 10 Super Rugby teams play over the weekend of 24 to 26 April.

Luxton said it would mean punters coming to enjoy the new stadium were not kicked out at midnight for Anzac Day.

“It’s a huge opening that Christchurch is going to be able to make a great deal out of.”

He said it would change the “you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here” regime currently in place.

“Who knows what’s happening on the streets after that? This bill will enable licensed premises with safety procedures and alcohol policies in place to continue giving people the entertainment, the nightlife that they would like in a responsible and safe way.”

McAnulty said Luxton’s amendment was consistent with the intention of the bill, and he was happy to support it.

“I know that the hospitality businesses in Christchurch are very happy about that, because when their stadium opens and people leave, they won’t have to then be kicked out of the hospitality businesses at midnight because it’s Anzac Day the following day.”

McAnulty, a Catholic, was less concerned with religious opposition to the bill, but understood why people might be opposed on health grounds.

“It’s a valid concern, but because the bill only targets those on-licensed premises that are already able to operate, it’s actually not going to expand the number of premises that can provide alcohol. It just means they don’t have to jump through these ridiculous hoops in order to be able to do it.”

This is not the only piece of legislation that would liberalise alcohol trading laws to pass through Parliament this term.

The government is working through its own piece of legislation to allow restaurants with on-site retail spaces to sell take-home alcoholic beverages, if they also sell takeaway food or non-alcoholic beverages prepared by the business.

Luxton’s own member’s bill to repeal alcohol restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday was voted down at first reading in 2024. That bill would have repealed Good Friday and Easter Sunday as restricted trading days altogether.

Luxton said McAnulty’s bill was “dealing with an element” of what his bill had set out to do.

Another bill by National’s Stuart Smith to allow winery cellar doors to charge visitors for samples and add off-licence categories for wineries holding an on-licence passed successfully through the House in 2024.

Law a ‘fly in the ointment’

Mike Egan, president of the Restaurant Association and co-owner of restaurant Monsoon Poon, said the present law was a “relic from the 1800s” and a “fly in the ointment” for businesses like his.

“The rule is you’re meant to partake in a substantial meal in a pub over Easter on the Friday, and tourists are sort of like, ‘Oh, we’ve eaten, we just all come here for a nightcap,’ or, ‘We just want to have a snack, and you know, we’re wandering around town trying different restaurants and cafes’, and it’s like, ‘No, I’m really sorry, you need to have another meal…’

“People will order a whole meal and not even eat it because the law doesn’t say they actually have to eat it, they just have to have it sitting there in front of them. It’s just a little bit old-fashioned.”

He said the law change would not result in “all this debauchery on Good Friday”.

“[Customers] just want to have a beer in the afternoon after they’ve had a bike ride down the vineyards, you know? So it’s very sort of frustrating trying to police this legislation.”

He said staff would no longer have to act as police officers, checking how much food each customer had ordered if the bill was passed.

“It’ll just make it sort of easier and it’ll just flow like a regular weekend. It will boost business [and] take away a lot of confusion.”

Families struggling with alcohol harm would be worse off – public health adviser

Senior health promotion adviser at Alcohol HealthWatch, Sarah Sneyd, told Checkpoint, she understood people may see it as a small change but it was one that would ever so slightly make access to alcohol easier.

“We have some data from police and emergency departments that show there are fewer alcohol related assaults and ED presentations over the Easter break and that could very well be because it’s harder to access alcohol.”

Sneyd believed there would be real repercussions from changing the restrictions.

“I think it really speaks to a symptom of a deeper problem in our culture we can’t even go a couple of days without access to alcohol. Once again we make it easier to access alcohol on the couple of days where there are some restrictions around it.

“This is not what we hear communities want.”

Sneyd said New Zealand was “saturated” with alcohol and it was a problem with very few protections.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Some restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday alcohol sales could be gone as soon as this long weekend.

A member’s bill from Labour MP Kieran McAnulty would amend the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow allow premises that are already open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning, and Christmas Day to sell alcohol under normal licence conditions.

Currently, bars or restaurants can only sell alcohol if the patron is “residing or lodging” on the premises, or “present on the premises to dine”.

McAnulty said the legislation would clear up a “confusing law” that had been in place for a long time.

“Just because something’s always been that way doesn’t mean that that’s a good reason to keep it,” he said.

The general requirement is that patrons have to order a ‘substantial meal’, but McAnulty said that was not defined, and patrons were not required to eat it anyway.

“That is a bit of a farce of a situation. So all we’re doing is clearing it up that those businesses that are already able to operate anyway can do so under normal conditions, and those that can’t like off-licences and supermarkets, they remain restricted, but for those on-licences that are already operating, they can do so normally.”

The bill is up for its third reading on Wednesday. Exactly when depends on other legislation scheduled to be debated first.

If the bill passes, it is possible it may receive Royal Assent on Thursday, in time for Good Friday.

McAnulty said the timing was a “sticking point,” but as some government bills were scheduled to receive Royal Assent on Thursday he was hopeful his could be included alongside those.

“It’s quite fortuitous timing, I think, the way that it’s played out. And really, we’re at the mercy and availability of Her Excellency, and I’m not of a mind to flick a text to the Governor-General and ask for a solid, so I’m quite happy with the way that it’s played out, and hopefully it does follow through.”

Parliament treats alcohol legislation as a conscience matter, meaning MPs vote according to their personal view or what they think is best for their electorate or community, rather than as a party bloc.

It means some of McAnulty’s own Labour colleagues may choose to oppose his bill, but the MP was optimistic he had the numbers across the House to pass.

McAnulty’s original intent was to allow any premises that was allowed to operate on those public holidays to sell alcohol, which would have included supermarkets but not bottle shops.

But he said it was changed to keep things simple, and only apply it to on-licence venues.

“It’s proven to be the right decision, because we’ve maintained enough support in Parliament,” he said.

“I know that if we’d stuck with off-licences or supermarkets, there are people that would have withdrawn their support, and it probably wouldn’t have passed.”

An amendment proposed by ACT MP Cameron Luxton has been adopted into the bill.

Luxton’s amendment means bars can open after midnight on Anzac and Easter holidays. McAnulty said that was consistent with the intention of the bill, and he was happy to support it.

“I know that the hospitality businesses in Christchurch are very happy about that, because when their stadium opens and people leave, they won’t have to then be kicked out of the hospitality businesses at midnight because it’s Anzac Day the following day.”

McAnulty, a Catholic, was less concerned with religious opposition to the bill, but understood why people might be opposed on health grounds.

“It’s a valid concern, but because the bill only targets those on-licensed premises that are already able to operate, it’s actually not going to expand the number of premises that can provide alcohol. It just means they don’t have to jump through these ridiculous hoops in order to be able to do it.”

This is not the only piece of legislation that would liberalise alcohol trading laws to pass through Parliament this term.

The government is working through its own piece of legislation to allow restaurants with on-site retail spaces to sell take-home alcoholic beverages, if they also sell takeaway food or non-alcoholic beverages prepared by the business.

Luxton’s own member’s bill to repeal alcohol restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday was voted down at first reading in 2024.

Another bill by National’s Stuart Smith to allow winery cellar doors to charge visitors for samples and add off-licence categories for wineries holding an on-licence passed successfully through the House in 2024.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Pharmac needs more staff and a bigger operational budget to speed-up decisions on drug funding, say patient advocates.

In a report released today, the agency has been criticised for a focus on cost efficiency over health outcomes, and for slow decision-making and backlogs.

The report – written by Patient Voice Aotearoa and Medicines New Zealand and titled “Valuing Life – Medicines Access Summit 2025 Report” – is based off the findings of a two-day hui at Parliament in October last year.

Hosted by Deputy Prime Minister and Associate Minister of Health responsible for Pharmac David Seymour, the event brought together 180 people, including patient groups, clinicians, government officials, academics, and pharmaceutical industry representatives for a series of panels and workshops.

The report highlighted progress and persistent gaps in the country’s medicines system, noting “while some progress has been made, delivery remains uneven” and several foundational reforms “have not been started or addressed fully”.

Key findings highlighted in the report include:

• Progress is fragile without political leadership and accountability
• New Zealand continues to lag behind OECD peers
• Pharmac continues to be greatly underfunded
• Patients’ groups and clinicians are calling for a system that values timeliness, transparency, and lived experience
• Global pressures are reshaping medicines access
• A call for partnership and long‑term reform

Patient Voice Aotearoa chair Dr Malcolm Mulholland said two thirds of those recommendations had seen progress made since the summit, but a third were yet to see action.

Mulholland is also the chair of the consumer and patient working group, which was set up last year to work alongside Pharmac’s board overseeing a 12-month reset programme currently underway, which is aimed at making Pharmac more open and responsive.

“[Pharmac] are going to need a bigger a bigger operations budget to do a lot of the work around the health technology assessment,” he said.

“If we’re looking to speed it up, ultimately they are going to need more staff in those positions, so that’s why the operations budget is so important.”

Finance Minister Nicola Willis referred questions to Seymour’s office.

Seymour said while it was still a work in progress, for the first time in years Pharmac was “genuinely moving in the right direction”.

“We’ve given patients a stronger voice, appointed a consumer working group, and made Pharmac more transparent. We will continue to push Pharmac in the direction the patient community wants.

“Five years ago many of the Medicines Summit attendees would have been picketing outside Pharmac. This year, they were having genuine conversations with each other and Pharmac’s leadership about how to deliver the best service for Kiwis.”

This government had allocated a budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift.

“With that money, Pharmac has made 133 decisions to fund or widen access to medicines. This includes decisions on 46 cancer medicines. Over 200,000 patients have benefited.”

Pharmac chief executive Natalie McMurtry said Pharmac had appreciated the opportunity to attend the summit for the past two years, and it had provided an invaluable opportunity to hear first-hand from patients, advocates, suppliers and clinicians.

Since then, they had recruited more health economists to increase Pharmac’s capacity to assess funding applications, she said, and were trailing faster, more efficient assessment pathways which were showing early signs of success.

“We are also exploring how adopting a societal perspective can help us better demonstrate the value of new treatments, particularly when considering significant investments.

“Recently, we launched a review of our Exceptional Circumstances Framework, which allows Pharmac to consider funding medicines for certain individuals in special or exceptional clinical situations.”

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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 armed man sent a manifesto to schools, the police and the government promising to “kill everyone” and become the country’s “most deadly mass shooter”, police allege.

The man – who has never had a firearms licence – is accused of possessing a pump action shotgun with more than 350 shotgun cartridges, “suspected components of an improvised explosive device” and Nazi literature, it can now be revealed.

The 20-year-old faces an array of charges including two representative charges of threatening to kill, three charges of threatening to destroy property and four representative charges of unlawful possession of firearm/explosive.

He had also been charged with three representative charges of possessing an objectionable publication – including the Christchurch terrorist’s manifesto and video – and two charges of failing to carry out obligations to computer search.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

The man, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has name suppression, is set to go on trial in July. RNZ has been granted access to a court document that details the police allegations against him.

The document accused him of sending a manifesto to various addresses at 1.40am on 12 March last year.

The recipients included Waiuku College, Rutherford College, Pukekohe Police Station, Te Atatu Police Station and Parliament.

Police said the email was titled “This is my manifesto” and stated that another person was the author. It made several claims, including that the author had been “subject to constant bullying and harassment”.

“I have finished making weapons, body armour and suicide vest that will be needed for what I will do to get revenge on bullies.”

He said he had finished 3D printing and assembling a Rogue 9 submachine gun and had about 200-300 armour piercing bullets, some 3D printed Glock magazines, a pistol and about 100 bullets.

Police alleged the email said the submachine gun and pistol had been tested and the author knew “they will work for ‘what I am going to do tomorrow morning’”.

“I have body armour so that I will not die in a shootout with police,” the manifesto was alleged to say.

According to the police the email author claimed to also be in possession of Molotov cocktails and ingredients for explosives. The manifesto also said explosives had been sent in various packages to Waiuku College, Rutherford College, Pukekohe Police Station, Te Atatu Police Station and the Beehive.

“The rest of the … explosive was in the suicide vest that I will detonate even if defeated in a gun fight and kill everyone around me.

“I will go to Rutherford College or Waiuku College early and … become New Zealand’s most deadly mass shooter.”

It also promised “a big tragedy” if there were not enough police at the school, and threatened to set schools on fire and take hostages.

“The only way out of this is for a plane to be provided to me and safe passage out of New Zealand.”

Later that morning, police said they received an online form submission to a Police Service Improvement webform link, detailing the manifesto that had been sent.

When the schools became aware of the threat students and staff had already started to arrive for school.

As a result, Waiuku College put the school into lockdown for several hours, before staff and students were sent home.

Rutherford College restricted access to the property and had armed police posted at the school for the duration of the day.

Police said they spoke with a person who had been named as the author of the manifesto. They denied being the author and instead identified the defendant as a possible suspect.

On 13 March, police raided two properties associated with the defendant.

At one of the properties, police said they found a 12-gauge pump action shotgun under his bed, as well as 359 shotgun cartridges.

They said they also found a 3D printer, a machete in sheath, blueprints showing the assembly components of an AR15 rifle and Nazi literature.

The court document said “suspected components of an improvised explosive device” were also seized from the property. This included electrical chipboards, timers and household chemicals.

While searching the other property, police said they seized a phone, an iPad, two laptops, a USB drive, a desktop computer, 134 spent shotgun shells and a large knife.

When asked for the passcodes for the iPad and one of the phones, the defendant allegedly provided incorrect passcodes.

“When suggested that he was providing the wrong passcodes, the defendant claimed not to remember the passcodes,” the court document said.

Police analysed the defendant’s devices and said they found several objectionable materials, including a copy of Brenton Tarrant’s manifesto, a video of the Christchurch mosque attacks and a copy of a manifesto written by Ryan Palmeter, who killed three people in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2023.

There were also two copies of “an instructional book on how to make explosives, weapons, drugs and other dangerous or illegal activity” and videos of the Russian Moscow ISIS concert hall terror attack and the Buffalo, New York, mass shooting.

When spoken to by police, the defendant denied being involved in any of the alleged offending.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Winston Peters has accused the Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) of “bordering on fascist” after it concluded it has jurisdiction over the online media service The Platform.

The New Zealand First leader made the comments in an interview with The Platform broadcaster Sean Plunket on Wednesday morning.

The BSA had just published a decision it could consider a complaint made against The Platform, because the programme “meets the Act’s definition of ‘broadcasting’”.

The complaint was regarding comments made by Plunket about karakia and tikanga Māori being “mumbo jumbo”.

Peters told Plunket the move was one of “breathtaking audacity”.

“Frankly, they should go. They should be abolished. They’re out of time. They’ve got no use anymore.”

Plunket – who disagrees with the BSA decision – told his audience he was frustrated by the lack of action from the government.

“I had a personal assurance from the prime minister last year, who said to me, and I’ll quote, ‘Don’t worry mate, we’ve got your back on this’.”

Speaking to reporters on his way into the House on Wednesday afternoon, the prime minister said he did not recall those comments.

“I don’t recall every conversation I have with everybody, but I can’t imagine that’s something I’ve said,” Christopher Luxon said.

Plunket said there was no rationale for the BSA to broaden its remit to include The Platform, and he had assurances from the government they would intervene.

Luxon denied the government had got involved in the matter.

“We have not interfered in this process at all, the BSA is independent, but there is a range of options available to the minister.”

The ACT Party has a private member’s bill to abolish the BSA, which Peters hinted his party would support.

ACT leader David Seymour told reporters at Parliament on Wednesday afternoon that it was time for the BSA to go.

“It’s a creature of 1989 – before the internet existed – we live in a different world today and it’s clearly overstepping its mandate,” 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

Legislation to ease alcohol restrictions over Easter, Anzac Day, and Christmas has passed its third and final reading at Parliament.

The bill amends the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act to allow premises that are already open on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Anzac Day morning, and Christmas Day to sell alcohol under normal licence conditions.

Bottle shops will still have to stay closed, and supermarket alcohol restrictions remain.

The bill passed 66 votes to 56.

It was put forward by Labour MP Kieran McAnulty.

Speaking at the third reading, McAnulty told the House the bill would clear up the guesswork for hospitality staff in deciding what was a “substantial” meal to serve before someone could purchase alcohol, by removing the requirement entirely.

“What is even more ridiculous is that actually they’re not required to eat the meal. They’re only required to purchase it, and it can sit there while they drink, and it could also be argued that they can go and buy another substantial meal in order to keep drinking. That doesn’t make sense. This bill clears that up,” he said.

McAnulty said it was clear there was not a majority in Parliament to amend the Easter Trading laws themselves, something he himself was opposed to amending, and so he was not seeking to change them.

“All we’re talking about here is businesses that can already open. This is not expanding access to alcohol. When we’re only talking about those workers that are working anyway, this is not taking anything away from those workers that otherwise enjoy a guaranteed day off,” he said.

At the Committee of the Whole House stage, and amendment from ACT’s Cameron Luxton was adopted to ensure those venues could continue to serve drinks past midnight the day before the holiday.

Luxton said the provision would allow a business to stay open for its usual licencing hours, and not necessarily that they must remain open or stay open past the 11:59 deadline the day before.

“The amendment says that the premises for which an on-licence is held may remain open during the permitted trading hours that apply to the premises,” he said.

McAnulty said Luxton’s amendment cleared up an anomaly, and he was happy to support it.

Rather than the usual eleven speeches in response to McAnulty’s first call, Assistant Speaker Barbara Kuriger allowed the debate to be split into 22 shorter calls, acknowledging the vote was a conscience matter.

Parliament treats votes on legislation involving alcohol as a conscience matter, meaning MPs are free to vote according to their personal feelings, or those of their constituents, rather than whipped as a party bloc.

It means McAnulty’s Labour colleagues were free to vote against his bill, as Taieri MP Ingrid Leary did.

“I can’t in good conscience continue to see bills come before the House that incrementally change small, nuanced parts of a wider architecture that urgently needs reform,” she said.

ACT voted as a bloc in support, while all New Zealand First and Green MPs opposed the bill.

MP Kahurangi Carter said the Greens had a long history of fighting for alcohol harm reduction laws, and believed the entire Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act needed to be overhauled.

“The Green Party is united in our position that we cannot support this bill,” she said.

New Zealand First MP David Wilson said he valued using those holidays for remembrance and reflection.

“It’s not much to ask to take some time to reflect, to revere, and to respect, and then celebrate with friends and family,” he said.

“A small degree of restriction for a few days to reinforce shared traditions and values is a very small price to pay.”

His New Zealand First colleague Mark Patterson took it a step further, saying the House would be “crossing a Rubicon” with its vote.

“Will they vote to uphold their traditional New Zealand values, history, and traditions? Will they respect our Christian heritage, sacred Christian celebrations of Christmas, Easter Sunday, and Good Friday? Will they acknowledge the solemn commemoration of Anzac Day morning? Or will they sacrifice that heritage at the altar of consumerism and consumption?”

McAnulty’s Labour colleague Lemauga Lydia Sosene said communities in her Māngere electorate wanted to keep those days sacred, and so she opposed it on their behalf.

However, in support of the bill, National’s Greg Fleming said he did not believe the legislation affected the sanctity of those days.

Fleming, who co-founded conservative policy think-tank the Maxim Institute, said many years ago he would have opposed the bill, but he said it was a “considered, incremental, and mature step forward” for a healthy relationship for alcohol, and a healthy respect for differences, rather than being “fearful” of what it meant for sacred days.

ACT’s Laura McClure said people’s behaviour would not change just because trading hours did.

“Our licenced premises have to adhere to really strict rules when it comes to intoxication. One of the safest places you could probably have a few beverages in is a licenced premises.”

National’s Carl Bates, opposing the legislation, said Parliament could have instead clarfied the definition of a “substantial” meal in regulation.

“The idea that the only way to solve this problem is to remove the law, to take a step on that slop towards removing the importance of these days in New Zealand’s history, and in its culture, is in itself absurd.”

Speaking to RNZ before the third reading, McAnulty was hopeful it could get Royal Assent on Thursday, so it could be law before the long weekend.

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

Source: New Zealand Government

Legislation preventing future governments from concealing the extent of fiscal risks in government accounts passed through its final stages in Parliament today.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis says the Public Finance Amendment Act requires economic and fiscal updates prepared by the Treasury to include a statement of specific fiscal risks. 

“When I became Finance Minister, I discovered several risks were not clear in those statements. An example was the time-limited funding for Pharmac medicines on which thousands of New Zealanders rely.

“While the Treasury has now categorised and described those fiscal risks – which includes identifying time-limited funding and capital cost escalations – this law change makes that categorisation a requirement.

“The Act also removes the need for Treasury to report on ‘wellbeing’.

“Building a strong economy and delivering better public services advances the country’s wellbeing. Therefore, the Treasury needs to focus on its core purpose – economic and fiscal advice – not hazy feel-good ideas that sound nice, but don’t deliver better outcomes for New Zealanders.”

The Act also brings the date for the delivery of the Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update (PREFU) forward by five working days.

“The PREFU helps to ensure voters can make informed choices at the election. Bringing the date forward gives them more time to weigh up the choices available to them,” Nicola Willis says.

The PREFU forecasts the economic outlook for New Zealand, and the government’s fiscal outlook.

The Act will be in force by July 1 2026.

MIL OSI

Source: Radio New Zealand

A rush to deliver police new powers has not been matched by promised government funding for the technology needed to carry out those powers.

Police need two new or improved tech systems – one to handle the photos of people and other data generated by enhanced intelligence gathering; and one to issue new infringements under a Bill before parliament.

Official papers say enhanced data management will be “essential to building and maintaining public trust and confidence” and to “establish appropriate constraints” around what data police collected and how they used it.

RNZ inquiries show police are paying for the new infringements system out of an “underspend” last year, and there is no funding for a new data management system.

Police Minister Mark Mitchell was told by police last year that “an important complement to the immediate statutory reform we are progressing, will be the need to consider opportunities to enhance police information management and data protection and security measures”.

Another official paper, written six months ago, said: “This work is likely to be significant and will likely require a business case to be developed, for consideration in a future Budget cycle.”

But Mitchell’s office told RNZ this week: “To clarify, the aim is for police to find solutions through enhancing existing technologies. No additional funding has been sought at this stage.”

Mitchell said he could not comment on any work underway on the development of a newly funded Digital Evidence Management System “as clearly an investment of this kind would require additional funding, likely through a Budget process”.

Legislation and technology ‘in parallel’

Official papers mentioned the significance and complexity of the proposed law changes, and how building better data systems to implement them was a matter of trust.

“Police will progress enhancements to data management controls and assurance processes in parallel with the development and progression of the bill and will continue

following commencement of the legislation,” said one.

“These enhancements will be essential to building and maintaining public trust and confidence in police’s information management practices and treatment of personal information and helping ensure compliance with relevant Privacy Act obligations and principles.”

Police told Mitchell in a proactively-released briefing in May: “It is important that, as we establish lawful authority to record visual and other information, we have information systems that enable us to ensure effective storage, retention, searching and destruction of these images.”

This was partly because it was poor data and evidence handling by police that led to a 2022 inquiry and a Supreme Court ruling last year that constrained their powers.

Police were criticised in 2022 for the haphazard storage and handling of tens of thousands of casually-taken photos of Māori youth and others. Attempts by police to put better technology in place missed a deadline set by the Privacy Commissioner.

Not looking – or looking?

Police told RNZ last week they were not looking at any data tech options.

“As this bill has only just begun going through the parliamentary process police has not yet commenced work to investigating supporting technologies that may be required in preparation for implementation,” they said.

But this week they said they were “continuing” to work on the most effective means of managing data. “We are looking at our existing technology and at additional opportunities presented via things such as our Digital Notebook app.”

The papers showed that police had been pushing since last May for “urgent” law change – the earliest date put forward to enact it was by December 2025.

Mitchell responded enthusiastically, but police had to ease up when early engagement with the Justice Ministry and Privacy Commissioner “highlighted the level of challenge likely to be encountered” while noting that “Police has not been well positioned to respond to those concerns to date.”

Freeing up new intel-gathering tech

One driver of the Bill – and of the need to upgrade to a digital evidence management system – was so that new technologies such as body-worn cameras could be introduced more easily.

“The methods and channels by which police collects personal information have changed as a result of technological developments,” said the regulatory impact statement.

“New technology capabilities are supporting policing practices here and internationally, and are creating new opportunities for more effective policing.”

The papers listed other intelligence-gathering tech police might want to harness more: “Mobile phones, high-resolution cameras, drones, Police Eagle helicopter footage, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) camera networks in urban and rural locations, Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR), retail camera convergence platforms (for example, Auror and SaferCities), online open-source search tools, waste-water testing, and geospatial and geolocation tools.”

They also noted how “some of this personal information may have an unknown specific intelligence use at the time of collection” – so the Bill sought to give police the freedom to use it in future.

Critics have voiced concerns that this opens the gate too far, without setting up strong safeguards.

Enhanced information systems were seen as a safeguard. “Further information management investment will assist with strengthening these safeguard [sic], ensuring police is meeting its current requirements, and maintaining public trust and confidence,” said the impact statement.

“Whether any investment required will be met through existing baseline, or through a Budget bid, would be addressed through any necessary assessment.”

New infringement system this year

Lack of funding has also delayed replacement of the Police Infringement Processing System (PIPS) for at least eight years, despite it being overloaded and unable to process anything other than traffic offences.

It had to be replaced for the amendment Bill to be implemented this year.

The Bill would give police new powers to detain and fine people in areas they have declared temporarily off-limits, and the old PIPS could not handle this.

Mitchell told RNZ its replacement would be completed this year, but gave no firm date.

The government aims to enact the policing amendment Bill after the select committee reports back in July.

“Police is developing a phased programme of work to transition to the new system which will support enforcement of the new infringement offences as well as existing infringements,” Mitchell said.

“No new funding has been allocated to this development. The system has been funded from Vote Police underspend from the 2024/5 financial year.”

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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 government has made yet another change to legislation setting out the plan to accommodate new homes in Auckland in the coming decades.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop said the government will reduce the minimum housing capacity required for Auckland Council’s Plan Change 120 to 1.4 million, after already revising the figure in February.

Auckland Council had been progressing a new plan to accommodate up to 2 million homes in the coming decades.

The council opted out of medium-density rules that apply to most major cities on the proviso it set up zoning for 30 years of growth.

The council’s Plan Change 120 set out the process for doing this, but the government had come under pressure from proponents of heritage homes who raised concerns about further intensification in character areas that were already seeing major development.

On Tuesday, it was announced the government agreed to revise the minimum housing capacity required by Plan Change 120, with Bishop saying Aucklanders had been clear they want housing growth, “so long as it happens in the right places and where infrastructure can support it.”

“Our expectation is that this revised capacity number finally brings consensus on this important issue. Aucklanders deserve certainty on this city-shaping plan change,” said Bishop.

He said advice from officials estimate the capacity enabled by PC120 was “still likely to be around 1.6 million homes” once mandatory requirements under the National Policy Statement on Urban Development and upzoning around the City Rail Link were taken into account.

Auckland Council will still need to provide for significant housing growth, Bishop said.

The latest change also addressed a “transitional issue” affecting developers and property owners after the withdrawal of an earlier plan change – those who had started projects under the Medium Density Residential Standards and were “left in limbo” when those rules were withdrawn, Bishop said.

Projects can continue if approvals were already in place or they were partway through the consent process.

Bishop also planned to investigate planning provisions that “may be holding back Auckland’s city centre”.

Guiding principles set by Auckland Council for how it will change PC120 in response to the new minimum housing capacity include:

• downzoning in areas where homes are more susceptible to natural hazards such as flooding
• enabling intensification in mandatory areas including around stations benefiting from investment in the City Rail Link
• reducing housing capacity in areas more than ten kilometres from the city centre as a starting point
• and reassessing requirements in places that are less well-served by public transport

Bishop indicated the legislation would be progressed quickly to minimise disruption to the existing PC120 process.

Once the new capacity requirement was in place, the council would decide which parts of the plan to withdraw or amend. Where parts of the plan are withdrawn, the existing Auckland Unitary Plan zoning will remain in place.

There will also be further opportunities to provide feedback.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Ministers have sought “urgent advice” about how best to ease the pain of rising fuel prices for in-home care workers and other public servants who might be in a similar plight.

Support workers, who often earn little more than minimum wage, were not fully reimbursed for their transport costs despite having to visit injured, disabled or elderly people in their homes.

Soaring fuel prices have exacerbated the problem, prompting the Public Service Association and E tū to file an Employment Relations Authority claim against Health NZ.

Speaking at Parliament on Tuesday, Health Minister Simeon Brown said the government was “acutely aware” of the challenge and was exploring solutions “as quickly as possible”.

“These are incredibly valuable New Zealanders who play an important role caring for many thousands of New Zealanders, elderly, disabled, those on ACC.

“We greatly value the work that our home and care support workers do, and we hope to resolve this very soon.”

Brown indicated relief could be offered by boosting the existing mileage allowance which workers received. That rate had not been increased in four years.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said ministers had received some preliminary advice on long-standing issues in the sector and were now awaiting further advice on more specific support options.

“We’re not going to have time to solve all of the underlying issues that are there – the claims which are made on both sides of the debate, both the contractor and the workers – but we can do something temporary, targeted and timely.”

Willis said officials were also investigating whether other public servants might be under similar pressure due to travel requirements.

“We need to be aware of the impact that fuel costs are having on those workforces where they have to travel between clients for their job,” she said.

“We have sought advice on where else that might be an issue in government. And in the first instance, we will be asking agencies to ensure those costs are met from within their own baselines. But we are looking to understand what those pressures could look like now and in the weeks and months ahead.”

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