AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for April 14, 2026 – Full Text

Source: Radio New Zealand

A member’s Bill could stop public funding to gangs and organisations with gang ties. It’s unlikely to be a hard sell, but one expert says it’s ‘cutting off our nose to spite our face’.

National MP Rima Nakhle is drawing a hard line on gangs: no taxpayer money. Not to gangs and not to anyone linked to them.

Her member’s bill to stop public funding flowing to organisations with gang ties has been drawn from the biscuit tin, and she tells The Detail that National is “sending a very strong message that the people administering the poison are not going to be administering the antidote as well”.

“We are cracking down on gangs, we are cracking down on the misery they are causing in our communities,” she says.

“If I had a child… or family member addicted to meth and then I found out that the people who sold them the meth are getting money to take them off meth, I [would] honestly want to cry. We can’t send that message.”

The last government gave $2.75 million via Kainga Ora in 2021 to a marae-based rehabilitation initiative called Kahukura.

It was developed by Hard2Reach, a consultancy founded by Mongrel Mob life member Harry Tam, and Mongrel Mob members became key leaders of the programme designed to “reduce crime and harm from methamphetamine dependency”, especially among gang associates that other rehab programmes had found hard to engage.

“Rightfully so, a lot of people got very upset about that,” Nakhle says.

In 2024, the coalition government announced Kahukura would stop receiving money from the Proceeds of Crime Fund.

But while that initiative was under the Labour government, former PM Jacinda Ardern said it took inspiration from a National policy.

Nakhle isn’t “100 percent clear” if the coalition government has given any money to gangs since getting into power, and after The Detail’s interview, a National spokesperson couldn’t give a definitive yes or no.

In a written response a spokesperson says, “National isn’t aware of any funding that has gone to gangs under the coalition government. Given this government’s approach to gangs, it’s our expectation that government departments would raise anything relevant to that.”

Nakhle says gangs won’t get any more money on her watch.

“For some reason, or many reasons, it does make me very angry,” Nakhle says.

She says one of the main reasons it makes her angry is that “victims, for me, are really always at the forefront of my mind.”

“And I think to myself, gangs are the reason why most of our drugs in our New Zealand communities are on our shores. They are the ones that are bringing them in, to a great extent, and they are the ones selling them.

“And to say that the sellers are going to become the saviours is just like a smack in the face, particularly of parents, grandparents and family members who are going through the living hell of their whānau members, their family members, being addicted to the drugs that are being sold by gangs to begin with.

“I get so angry thinking about it.”

‘Extremely short-sighted’

But critics are warning that the bill will potentially cut funding to frontline programmes that work with gang members trying to turn their lives around.

Dr Trevor Bradley lectures in criminology at Victoria University.

Bradley told The Detail that the bill is “a great optic, particularly in the lead up to the election later in the year… this is just a natural extension of National’s punitive get-tough approach but I think it’s extremely short-sighted”.

“We do have a very big problem with meth in this country, and we know that there is a strong association between gangs and meth consumption and meth distribution,” he says.

“If we want to reduce that consumption, in particular, then we have to work with those people who are actually problematic consumers of it, and we therefore have to work with the gangs and their gang membership and the associates, and the families and whānau, and not to do so would be to turn down a really important opportunity to make a positive impact.”

He thought the Kahukura programme in Hawke’s Bay “showed pretty good potential” and he was “quite disappointed” when the funding was pulled by the coalition government.

“It did show signs of success, it did have pretty good compliance conditions, and there was pretty strong oversight.

“I think the bottom line is if we want to reach those hard-to-reach communities, and of course gang communities are a very good example of that, then we have to work with them.”

Still, Nakhle argues the principle is simple: public money should go to organisations that uphold the law, not undermine it.

But what counts as a gang link? Is it membership, association or history, and who makes that call?

“There are a few of our laws that do define what gangs are,” Nakhle says.

“And if we were to put it in a nutshell, there are three aspects or characteristics which, in our law, define a gang.

“Firstly, it’s got to be a group of three or more people; second, they have got to have a common name, or signal, or symbol, or colour; and third, they need to be associated with or are involved in criminal activity.

“Plus, there is a national gang list, with the names of gangs known to us, and that list does get updated.”

The debate now shifts to Parliament, where the bill will test not just political appetite for a tougher stance on gangs, but how far lawmakers are willing to go to draw a line in the sand.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fed-up tour operators are sounding the alarm on Cook Strait ferry services, claiming tens of thousands can be lost from a single disrupted sailing and that perceived unreliability means tourists are skipping the Wellington region and the Top of the South.

At the world’s leading travel trade show – where exhibitors from more than 180 countries spruiked everything from luxury tour packages to adventure travel to medical and health tourism – the Middle East crisis was a hot topic of coversation this year.

But it was not the only one dominating the discourse at ITB Berlin.

According to a New Zealand-based tour operator, chatter about Cook Strait ferries was unavoidable last month and disruptions were causing “significant and lasting” damage to the country’s reputation as a world-class travel destination.

The issue, Jens Schlotzhauer said, demanded attention at the “highest political level”.

The Tourism Minister, however, said nothing had been raised with her directly, while the Rail Minister directed RNZ to the ferry operator.

Schlotzhauer’s concerns came in the wake of disruption caused by a technical fault on Bluebridge’s Connemara, which had been out of action since 21 March but resumed sailing on 1 April following a period of detainment and an inspection by water safety regulator Maritime NZ.

The Interislander has also had delays and disruptions in recent months, with stormy weather and technical problems forcing ferries out of service.

Tour operators told RNZ this season’s disruptions were not isolated, with some providing disclaimers about the ferries’ reliability to travellers or choosing to exclude the Cook Strait from their tour itineraries, while others were considering making back-up bookings for sailings next season.

KiwiRail, which runs the Interislander, and StraitNZ Bluebridge said they understood how frustrating disruptions could be and were “genuinely sorry” and “apologise unreservedly” for the inconvenience caused, but that from time to time problems arose in complex marine systems.

Cancellations hitting overseas companies in the pocket – tour operator

Nature Trailz Discover New Zealand specialised in active holidays for the German-speaking market, managing director Jens Schlotzhauer told RNZ.

The hiking, cycling, and kayaking trips were sold through German tour operators and, according to Schlotzhauer, the Cook Strait ferries were gaining a reputation among his European contacts, who aired their grievances at ITB Berlin.

“The Cook Strait ferry situation emerged as a notable talking point … raised by numerous European tourism companies who regularly send their clients to Aotearoa New Zealand.

“Our European contacts – many of whom book their clients through us – have asked us to speak on their behalf regarding this more local issue.”

Schlotzhauer said the ferries’ notoriety at the global trade show behemoth – which had been running for 60 years – was notable.

Last month’s trade show coincided with a particularly difficult time for services between Picton and Wellington, with more than half the days in March down either one Interislander or Bluebridge ferry due to a technical fault. On 12 and 13 March, two out of the four ferries that cross Cook Strait were out of action.

Schlotzhauer said while Nature Trailz was only affected by three cancellations (two due to technical faults) and three delays during the 2025/26 summer season, the downstream consequences of a disrupted sailing could be significant.

In one such example, Schlotzhauer said kayak and boat tours in the top of the South Island had to be scrapped entirely along with pre-booked accommodation when a cancellation saw a group arrive in Picton from Wellington three days behind schedule.

He estimated the cumulative financial hit to be $21,000 – including additional accommodation, revenue loss by the South Island tourism companies, and the 500 Euro refund per guest the German-based tour operator was required to cough up.

He said under European Union Travel Law, EU-based tour companies were liable for cancelled services.

“This is not an isolated event. Ferry cancellations due to technical defects represent a systemic risk with real and recurring financial consequences.”

New Zealand-based Nature Trailz staffer, Rita Baker – who was personally caught up in March’s cancelled sailings – said ensuring tour vans and drivers were rescheduled on the same service as their tour group could require significant effort.

“I’ve been on the phone to Interislander and Bluebridge for the last couple of months for hours on end trying to get our tour groups across.

“How many tour companies are there in the country that are in the same boat? In terms of tourism being New Zealand’s second-largest earner, I think it’s a very bad look.”

In March this year, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston celebrated Stats NZ data which showed toursim spending in 2025 was up $1.5 billion on the year prior and that tourism remained the country’s second highest export. https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/tourism-drives-billions-new-zealand-economy

When contacted about the concerns raised by tour operators, Upston’s office told RNZ such issues had not been raised directly with the minister.

‘What the heck are we going to do now?’

One tour group operator – who asked not to be named for fear of hurting relationships with ferry operators – told RNZ disrupted services meant the company had planned tours that avoided Cook Strait altogether.

They said it was not the majority, but some clients who booked tours through them were choosing to fly groups between the islands thereby excluding Wellington and the Top of the South from itineraries.

“One of our clients … learned that the Cook Strait was a risk. They had one tour where people had to fly from Wellington to Christchurch.

“No big discussions but next thing you know Wellington and the ferries are off the itinerary for the next year.”

The operator said there would be a handful of disruptions in a typical six-month tourist season.

“When it happens it’s huge. Some days we get away with it because we haven’t got a tour affected, but we talk to our colleagues and they are affected. It would be six to 10 times a season that there’s a significant panic … first thing in the morning, ‘Right what the heck are we going to do now?’”

They said it was not just cancellations – delays also caused a logisitical nightmare in a tight schedule that had to account for 10-hour breaks for drivers and guides.

Avoiding the Cook Strait was something Real Kiwi Adventures owner and managing director, Peter Rickard-Green was increasingly noticing in the rentals business.

“We offer campervan rentals that are one-way from North to South Island or vice versa. But we’ve noticed that, that has been … incredibly difficult to arrange because of the instability of the ferry crossings.”

The company issued a disclaimer that it could not guarantee ferry prices or availability and Rickard-Green said some tourists were skipping one island completely.

In his opinion, government intervention was required, while the tour operator believed three Interislander ferries was the only solution.

“A strategy of having two ships instead of three is a strategy for failure. With this set up … there is no back up [for maintenance or disruption]. If just one ferry fails during peak periods it could take weeks to clear up the back log.”

‘Complex marine systems’

KiwiRail said it was “genuinely sorry for inconvenience experienced by tour operators and their customers” in early March when Kaiārahi was out of service for half a week due to a technical fault.

“During that disruption, we worked closely with all our customers including tour operators to move them to new sailings,” a spokesperson said.

They said eight additional sailings were added to the schedule and almost all tour groups and accompanying vehicles were “moved within 24 hours of disrupted sailing”.

KiwiRail said it had improved fleet resilience and, excluding weather, reliability had been above its target of 98 percent over the past 12 months thanks to its proactive maintenance regime – however, “intermittent faults can still occur in complex marine systems”.

Interislander general manager of operations, Taru Sawhney said the fleet would drop to one ship between 22 June and 26 September to allow for Kaitaki to head to Singapore for dry dock maintenance, following three weeks of local wet dock maintenance on Kaiārahi.

Sawhney said the maintenance had been timed with a period of low demand and that Interislander was working with customers to plan ahead for it.

He said the work was essential to keep the ships going during the transition to the new fleet in 2029.

StraitNZ Bluebridge spokesperson Will Dady said the company had been working “one-to-one” with groups to reschedule them as quickly as possible during Connemara’s technical fault.

“We are extremely aware how disruptive this is for our customers, many of whom are long term and very loyal, and we apologise unreservedly to all of them.”

He said from time-to-time things went wrong with “large and complex ships sailing multiple times a day between the Islands”.

Back-up bookings floated

Schlotzhauer said Nature Trailz was keen to speak with both ferry operators about practical solutions to cancellations and was considering booking a back-up sailing for each tour group next season.

“One possibility we would like to discuss is a dual-booking arrangement, whereby we secure two departure dates for each planned crossing, with the flexibility to cancel one at short notice without penalty.

“However, we firmly believe that the broader issue demands attention at the highest political level.”

He said the tourism industry depended on a reliable Cook Strait ferry service for both domestic tour operators and international companies “bound by the consumer protection laws of their home countries”.

“For the vast majority of visitors, a trip to New Zealand is not simply a holiday – it is a life experience.

“Guests save for it, dream about it, and return home eager to share it with family and friends. When things go wrong, particularly due to infrastructure failures that are beyond anyone’s control, that experience is diminished – and word travels.”

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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 deputy prime minister says it is up to local communities, not necessarily the government, to decide whether they need to relocate as climate change worsens.

Parts of the North Island have been repeatedly hit by extreme weather events in recent years, particularly the Bay of Plenty, Tai Rawhiti and Hawke’s Bay.

The latest – Cyclone Vaianu – was not as destructive as feared, but still took out roads and flooded communities at the weekend.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report on Monday that iwi in the eastern part of the North Island were having conversations about relocating from areas vulnerable to wild weather and the effects of climate change.

“They’re having those conversations with the elders who have been very connected to those areas, and that’s been a really positive thing.”

As for the 14 percent – around 675,000 – New Zealanders who currently live in areas prone to flooding, Luxon said it was time to “confront the brutal facts of the reality that actually they are going to be areas of New Zealand that we’re going to have to rethink over time how we manage that”.

Asked whether we should be “pushing fast forward on those discussions” by First Up host Nathan Rarere on Tuesday morning, Deputy Prime Minister and ACT leader David Seymour said it depended on who “we” are.

“It’s more important to break down who has each role. The government has a role in this, and that is producing the national flood maps. producing the National Adaptation Framework, which sets out what the information is in each location and potentially what the options are in any location.

“It’s then up to the communities you mentioned to figure out what’s most important to them and what choices they’d like to make.”

Important roads around the Gisborne region – such as State Highways 2 and 35 – are frequently closed due to flooding and slips when big storms strike. Mayor Rehette Stoltz on Monday said she was not aware of discussions between Luxon and iwi in regards to relocation, but some marae had already been moved and the council had bought dozens of ‘category 3’ homes people could no longer live in.

She said there had been a lack of investment in the national roading network, which is handled by the New Zealand Transport Agency, not local councils.

Seymour agreed there had been a lack of investment for up to 60 years.

“It’s always easier to defer some maintenance, balance the Budget this year and put physical problems into the future. And we see that in hospitals. school buildings and so on.

“I’d like to think this government is actually doing a bit to improve the accounting and capital asset maintenance.”

He played down the importance of reducing emissions.

“We’ve invested an awful lot of resource in trying to reduce emissions, when in reality that won’t change the picture for New Zealand because the rest of the world will drive emissions whether we do or not.

“What we can change and have in our own power so far as climate change and New Zealanders is the ability to ensure we do adaptation. Now, I sympathise with the mayors… I also point out that since Gabrielle in early 2023, the investment in the highway in Hawke’s Bay has been done precisely to future-proof it against those challenges.

“That doesn’t mean it’s been done everywhere. But yes, there is a couple of historic problems in our policy approach. This government, I believe, is rectifying those. But it’s also true that some work has been done. So there are problems, but not everywhere.”

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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 deputy prime minister says it is up to local communities, not necessarily the government, to decide whether they need to relocate as climate change worsens.

And a local iwi leader agrees, saying it will take a “whole of community approach” to make the hard calls required to create “peace of mind”.

Parts of the North Island have been repeatedly hit by extreme weather events in recent years, particularly the Bay of Plenty, Tai Rāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay.

The latest – Cyclone Vaianu – was not as destructive as feared, but still took out roads and flooded communities at the weekend.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report on Monday that iwi in the eastern part of the North Island were having conversations about relocating from areas vulnerable to wild weather and the effects of climate change.

“They’re having those conversations with the elders who have been very connected to those areas, and that’s been a really positive thing.”

As for the 14 percent – around 675,000 – New Zealanders who currently live in areas prone to flooding, Luxon said it was time to “confront the brutal facts of the reality that actually they are going to be areas of New Zealand that we’re going to have to rethink over time how we manage that”.

Asked whether we should be “pushing fast forward on those discussions” by First Up host Nathan Rarere on Tuesday morning, Deputy Prime Minister and ACT leader David Seymour said it depended on who “we” are.

“It’s more important to break down who has each role. The government has a role in this, and that is producing the national flood maps. producing the National Adaptation Framework, which sets out what the information is in each location and potentially what the options are in any location.

“It’s then up to the communities you mentioned to figure out what’s most important to them and what choices they’d like to make.”

Important roads around the Gisborne region – such as State Highways 2 and 35 – are frequently closed due to flooding and slips when big storms strike. Mayor Rehette Stoltz on Monday said she was not aware of discussions between Luxon and iwi in regards to relocation, but some marae had already been moved and the council had bought dozens of ‘category 3’ homes people could no longer live in.

She said there had been a lack of investment in the national roading network, which is handled by the New Zealand Transport Agency, not local councils.

‘This is going to happen again’

Willie Te Aho, chief executive of Te Aitanga a Mahaki Trust on the East Coast, confirmed iwi had been making moves towards managed retreat since March 2023, in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.

“That’s led to the relocation of two of our marae, or a commitment to relocate two of our marae on either side of Te Karaka – Rangatira Marae and Takipu Marae,” he told Morning Report.

“It wasn’t the overall result that I personally wanted, because I put the question to my people what they wanted, and they said ‘peace of mind’, and I said, ‘You will not have peace of mind staying in this area.’

“And so we’ve had to look at other alternatives, including the raising of roads, the moving of flood protection, the raising of houses, to basically compensate for an alternative decision, which was to stay in the same place. But we have our two of our marae, our people have made the decision to relocate two of our marae to higher, safer ground.”

He said they were ill-prepared when Gabrielle hit, but had learned a lot since then – including the importance of some form of managed retreat.

“We’re never, ever going to have full peace of mind unless we look at managed retreat ourselves, how we work that through with local government, insurers and central government.”

Te Aho agreed with Seymour’s assessment that central government would not lead any managed retreat.

“I don’t think the government, any government has the funding to do that on a wholesale approach. And accordingly, we’ve got to look at how we do that long-term through our own individual ownership, through our hapu and iwi, through local government, through central government, and through insurance companies…

“And so, we need to have a whole of industry, a whole of community approach to looking at a better future because this is going to happen again. The issue is not if it’s going to happen, it’s going to be when it’s going to happen.

“I have nannies from the 1948 Waipauwa flood just beside us. I had people, the same people in Cyclone Bola in ’88, the same people in Cyclone Gabrielle in ’23. They’re saying that the timeframe between these severe weather events is shorter and they’re more severe.

“And so as our world temperature [rises], the reality is that this is going to happen more, in a timely manner, within the next 20 years. So, we’ve got to make the hard decisions about [sustainability] and resilience, and we’ve got to consider managed retreat in these areas that are vulnerable, like… Te Karaka.”

Seymour said there had been a lack of investment in infrastructure for up to 60 years.

“It’s always easier to defer some maintenance, balance the Budget this year and put physical problems into the future. And we see that in hospitals. school buildings and so on.

“I’d like to think this government is actually doing a bit to improve the accounting and capital asset maintenance.”

He played down the importance of reducing emissions.

“We’ve invested an awful lot of resource in trying to reduce emissions, when in reality that won’t change the picture for New Zealand because the rest of the world will drive emissions whether we do or not.

“What we can change and have in our own power so far as climate change and New Zealanders is the ability to ensure we do adaptation. Now, I sympathise with the mayors… I also point out that since Gabrielle in early 2023, the investment in the highway in Hawke’s Bay has been done precisely to future-proof it against those challenges.

“That doesn’t mean it’s been done everywhere. But yes, there is a couple of historic problems in our policy approach. This government, I believe, is rectifying those. But it’s also true that some work has been done. So there are problems, but not everywhere.”

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

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government welcomes new data showing New Zealand’s international visitor numbers continue to rise, with particularly strong growth from people visiting from China over Chinese New Year.

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says Stats NZ’s latest monthly international travel data shows New Zealand tourism continues its strong positive recovery.  

“Our tourism sector continues its strong growth, with over 408,000 overseas visitors choosing to visit New Zealand in February 2026, over 53,000 more than the same time a year ago. 

“International tourism contributes to our Government’s plan to fix the basics and build the future and support economic growth, with businesses, jobs and communities across the country feeling the benefits of increasing visitor numbers,” Louise Upston says.  

Annual figures show overseas visitor arrivals reached 3.58 million in the year to February 2026, an increase of 229,000 on the previous year. This continues to track towards pre‑COVID levels, now sitting at 92 per cent of December 2019 figures.

“It’s great to see continued growth from our largest visitor market, Australia, with 1.54 million arrivals in the year to February, up 123,000 from the year before.

“Changes that allow eligible visitors from China and the Pacific to travel to New Zealand from Australia with a New Zealand Electronic Travel Authority (NZeTA), rather than a visa, are also making a difference. 

“Chinese visitor arrivals were up 41,700 (increase of 214 per cent) in February 2026 compared with the same month in 2025, as more Chinese visitors chose to take advantage of the NZeTA and experience New Zealand’s unique scenery and hospitality over Chinese New Year.”

Monthly data shows 53,700 more international visitors arrived in February 2026 compared with February 2025.

“This Government has backed our vital tourism and hospitality sector through initiatives including funding for promotion of New Zealand as a year-round destination and strengthening partnerships with key markets. 

“As a country we are seeing the flow on growth and confidence in our tourism and hospitality sector as more visitors have chosen New Zealand as their next holiday destination. 

“More international visitors mean more customers for our businesses and ultimately more jobs. 

“The effects of the fuel crisis are yet to be seen but I will keep working with tourism operators on ensuring New Zealand continues to be seen as an attractive and safe destination to visit,” Louise Upston says.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand’s top spies will be weighing cutting the US out of some intelligence it shares with other Five Eyes partners, a former CIA head of counterintelligence has told RNZ.

Susan Miller had a long career in the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), including as its head of counterintelligence. She worked under the first Trump administration, but has since retired from the agency and seen her security clearance cut off by Trump in retribution for leading a probe into the Russian influence campaign during the 2016 US Presidential election.

Miller spoke with RNZ for a new podcast, The Agency, which has just been released in partnership with Bird of Paradise Productions. The podcast examines New Zealand’s close links with the CIA through the story of a Kiwi spy who spent six years in cover for the US agency.

Miller, who described New Zealand’s intelligence community as “righteous”, said she was certain they would be weighing how much could be shared with the US under Trump.

“I’m not going to be in that room when the Five Eyes, minus America, probably sit down and say, what do we do? Do we share Russia with him? Do we? Do we even claim that we’re allies anymore when he’s doing this? What do we do? And that’s what I think is probably going on.”

It was likely they would conclude: “We can’t share everything with this guy,” she said.

“I can’t trust him, and maybe they can on some China things and things like that, but when he’s acting like this … I would think that your leadership right now would be, at a minimum, thinking to themselves, wait a minute. I might not want to share this Russian information with this ambassador here, because he’s a Trump appointee.”

Late last year the UK stopped sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it was concerned about getting bound up in potentially illegal military strikes on the boats.

Miller said she was saddened that the intelligence sharing relationship had to be curtailed but cautioned against backing out of the Five Eyes arrangement completely.

“We’re always very focused on our relationship with Five Eyes and our joint things that we do on hard targets, whether it’s terrorism or China or, you know, name something else that comes up in the day … It’s super important that we have this and I would ask them to stay as long as they can and do what they are doing, keep that door open. Don’t completely break off from us.”

During her time with the CIA, Miller said she met with then-Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern as well as senior counterparts here to discuss China.

“Your team there, it’s a very small group that works in your intelligence service. They are righteous. I mean, these guys are super smart,” Miller said.

Listen now to all six episodes of The Agency, via Spotify, Apple Podcasts or wherever you listen.

In the podcast, the minister formerly in charge of New Zealand’s intelligence agencies, Andrew Little, agreed the agencies were likely to be thinking about “current conditions”.

“I think given their obligations under the New Zealand legislation – which is they’ve got to act independently, and they have to think carefully about their own legal and human rights obligations before sharing intelligence – I’d be surprised if they weren’t actively considering how they share intelligence and the current conditions.”

The “general sentiment and moves which undermine democracy” were “a cause for worry”, Little said.

“But I’m equally confident that the Five Eyes relationship will endure through that and without agencies like ours, and indeed, the other partners, compromising their principles, their requirement to respect democracy and freedom of expression and all those sorts of things. I think the Five Eyes arrangement will survive.”

A spokesman for the SIS said: “Whilst the global environment continues to be dynamic, the Five Eyes intelligence sharing partnership continues to function largely as it always has, and our relationships with our Five Eyes counterparts remains strong and enduring, regardless of political change within partner administrations.”

The Five Eyes was a “valued partnership”, with significant benefits to New Zealand.

“There are robust policies and processes in place to ensure that any cooperation New Zealand does with its Five Eyes partners, including the US, is consistent with New Zealand’s policy and legal framework, including human rights obligations.”

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

Source: New Zealand Government

Cutting red tape to speed up medicinal cannabis export licensing is growing the export industry in New Zealand, Associate Health Minister David Seymour says. 

For licences issued by Medsafe since 1 January 2026, the average timeframe to issuing a licence is 6.4 working days. The average timeframe for the 2024/2025 year was 10 working days. 

“This matters to Kiwi exporters. It means product is moving quicker and cashflow is improving. New Zealand companies are becoming more reliable trading partners overseas,” Mr Seymour says. 

“A license is required for every shipment of medicinal cannabis exported from New Zealand. I heard from one exporter that their first export license in 2023 took 155 days. Their most recent application was completed this year in 8.  When Medsafe process export licenses faster, more applications are made.”

Applications for an export license and the average processing times: 

• 2022/2023: 26 applications; 22.5 working days
• 2023/2024: 48 applications; 17.8 working days
• 2024/2025: 65 applications; 10.0 working days 

“I expect those numbers to continue to improve. Last year Medsafe reviewed the licensing regime for the export of medicinal cannabis. Now they are in the process of implementing changes to make the process even faster,” Mr Seymour says. 

“For example, previously the export application form was made to print off, complete in handwriting, scan, and email to Medsafe. Feedback was that this was outdated and inefficient. Now it’s moving to an electronic form which can be completed online. The two most prominent exporters have started trialling the new process, and their feedback will inform future changes.

“We need to get money into the country. Not everybody likes this stuff, but there’s a market for it.  Export volumes of cannabis flower increased from 49.0kg in 2021, to 2310.3kg in 2025. 

“The Government is also looking at giving exporters more permanent licences to reduce red tape and bureaucracy. Vendors are required to hold a medicinal cannabis licence, and must also apply to Medsafe for a controlled drug export licence for each shipment. Officials have said there may be an option to consider a broader or enduring export licence across multiple consignments.

“On top of this, we’ve made it easier for growers of low‑THC hemp to operate by modernising outdated legislation. Medicinal cannabis cultivators will soon be able to grow low‑THC plants without a licence, allowing more of the plant to be used to make medicinal cannabis products. For growers this means new opportunities.”  

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Retail NZ wants an urgent government taskforce created to crack down on illicit tobacco before the problem reaches crisis levels like in Australia.

An RNZ investigation last month found black market cigarettes were being openly being sold in Auckland shops with huge discounts.

In a report released today, Retail NZ, which represents shop owners, called on a “immediate and rigourous crackdown on illicit tobacco.”

Chief executive Carolyn Young said in Australia the horse has bolted, with organised crime groups terrorising shop owners who did not cooperate.

“In Victoria there has been something like 200 fire bombs in the last year. What happens is that if you say you are not going to sell the illicit tobacco, they’ll firebomb your business, they’ll make threats to your family,” she said.

New Zealand needed to act before the black market trade took off here, she said.

There should be a multi-agency taskforce created, including the police, Customs and health, she said

Currently, the police, Customs and the Ministry of Health worked separately to combat the problem and there were low-level penalties, she said.

“We are urging the Government to immediately establish a multi-agency Illicit Tobacco Task Force, increase penalties and have an independent roundtable consider a range of other measures, to ensure the illicit tobacco market is stamped out before it’s too late,” she said.

The illegal cigarettes were also able to skirt many of the measure aimed at decreasing tobacco use in New Zealand, such has packets with warning labels.

There was no way of knowing how much nicotine was in them, she said.

The illicit market was growing very quickly in New Zealand and that was why action was needed now, Ms Young said.

RNZ’s investigation found black market tobacco was sometimes being sold for less than half the price of the regulated product.

One retailer called it an “open secret.”

People caught selling illicit cigarettes, could face a six-month prison sentence, a $20,000 fine or both.

Importing cigarettes without paying the excise duty was illegal under Customs law.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Retail NZ wants an urgent government taskforce created to crack down on illicit tobacco before the problem reaches crisis levels like in Australia.

An RNZ investigation last month found black market cigarettes were being openly being sold in Auckland shops with huge discounts.

In a report released today, Retail NZ, which represents shop owners, called on a “immediate and rigourous crackdown on illicit tobacco.”

Chief executive Carolyn Young said in Australia the horse has bolted, with organised crime groups terrorising shop owners who did not cooperate.

“In Victoria there has been something like 200 fire bombs in the last year. What happens is that if you say you are not going to sell the illicit tobacco, they’ll firebomb your business, they’ll make threats to your family,” she said.

New Zealand needed to act before the black market trade took off here, she said.

There should be a multi-agency taskforce created, including the police, Customs and health, she said

Currently, the police, Customs and the Ministry of health worked separately to combat the problem and there were low-level penalties, she said.

“We are urging the Government to immediately establish a multi-agency Illicit Tobacco Task Force, increase penalties and have an independent roundtable consider a range of other measures, to ensure the illicit tobacco market is stamped out before it’s too late,” she said.

The illegal cigarettes were also able to skirt many of the measure aimed at decreasing tobacco use in New Zealand, such has packets with warning labels.

There was no way of knowing how much nicotine was in them, she said.

The illicit market was growing very quickly in New Zealand and that was why action was needed now, Ms Young said.

RNZ’s investigation found black market tobacco was sometimes being sold for less than half the price of the regulated product.

One retailer called it an “open secret.”

People caught selling illicit cigarettes, could face a six-month prison sentence, a $20,000 fine or both.

Importing cigarettes without paying the excise duty was illegal under Customs law.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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