AM Edition: Top 10 Politics Articles on LiveNews.co.nz for May 26, 2026 – Full Text

Source: New Zealand Government

A new initiative will help businesses transition from gas, protecting jobs and securing New Zealand’s dwindling gas supplies for other users, Finance Minister Nicola Willis, Energy Minister Simeon Brown and Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones say.

“The Gas Transition Loan Guarantee Scheme is a practical, helpful Budget 2026 initiative which is expected to make up to $1.2 billion of bank loans available to businesses to eliminate or reduce their dependency on gas,” Nicola Willis says. 

“Under the scheme, the Crown will guarantee 80 per cent of each supported loan in return for banks passing on lower interest rates to borrowers. This will make loans more affordable for firms wishing to switch fuel sources.” 

Budget 2026 sets aside $48 million to cover potential losses from the scheme. 

“New Zealand has seen some gas-dependent manufacturing businesses close, citing the cost of energy as a major factor. By assisting others to move to alternative fuel sources, the Government can help preserve jobs, improve New Zealand’s economic outlook, and leave more gas available to firms who have no viable alternative to gas. 

Simeon Brown says the Budget provides $5.9m for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority to work with businesses exploring options to transition away from gas. 

“With gas reserves rapidly declining and prices rising following the last Government’s decision to ban oil and gas exploration, these loans will enable businesses to reduce their energy costs and stay competitive by helping them switch some or all of their processes to run on alternative fuel sources, such as electricity or bio energy, and to invest in other energy efficiency measures. 

“Businesses meeting the threshold for inclusion in the scheme may be using gas for things like water heating, eg food processors and brewers, or heating interiors eg hotels and aged care facilities, or commercial growers using greenhouses. Thousands of businesses use more than 1000 GJ of gas a year which is the threshold for eligibility for the loan scheme. 

“To access this finance, businesses must achieve genuine gas savings of at least 15 per cent while maintaining or increasing production, ensuring the focus is on growing the economy and protecting jobs, not shrinking output.”

Twelve of the 17 currently operational gas fields in New Zealand are expected to stop producing within 10 years. 

Gas is becoming more expensive, and many new contracts are short term – lasting just a few months. 

“That’s why this Government is working hard to shore up domestic gas supply and fast-track clean energy generation projects, while undertaking a procurement process for an LNG importation facility. New Zealand needs more energy choices with secure, affordable energy that keeps the lights on, supports jobs, and underpins the economic growth our country needs.

“EECA estimates that if the full $1.2 billion of lending goes ahead, up to 10 PJ of gas use could be reduced per year.”

Shane Jones says that as part of improving transparency in the gas market, the Government will also pass legislation requiring industry participants to disclose to regulators and others, critical information on gas supply and demand. 

“The most recent figures show a 23 per cent decline in New Zealand’s gas reserves in the past year and production this year is now expected to be 15 per cent lower than expected at the beginning of the year.

“Fragmented and incomplete information on supply and demand is weakening market confidence and contributing to upward pressure on prices,” Shane Jones says.

“Good information supports good policymaking. Improved transparency will support the Government and market participants to consider their options and make smart investments. 

“There is no time to waste. A small change to the Gas Act, to require improved information disclosure, will be passed as part of Budget measures.”

Notes to editors:

• To be eligible for the Gas Transition Loan Guarantee Scheme, a business must be a current user of reticulated New Zealand natural gas with annual gas consumption of at least 1000 GJ. (For comparison, an average household with gas for cooking and heating uses about 25 GJ a year, while New Zealand’s 14 largest gas users use more than 300,000 GJ each per year.)
• A PJ is 1,000,000 GJs
• The maximum value of a supported loan under the scheme will be $50m of new lending 
• The Crown indemnity would cover 80 per cent of each supported loan
• The scheme would be available for three years with loans expected to be repayable within 10 years, subject to terms agreed between banks and borrowers
• The scheme will be limited to new loans, not re-financing
• MBIE will consult on the new information requirements in the Gas Act once the Gas Transparency Bill has been passed. Regulations could be in place by the end of the year.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/25/loans-to-help-businesses-transition-away-from-gas/

MIL OSI

Source: Media Outreach

• At the launch, KPMG also unveiled its Trusted AI Assurance offering that is aligned with relevant international standards and frameworks to mitigate risk and build trust in AI deployment. This gives businesses a clear, credible pathway to scale AI confidently as Singapore reinforces its position as a trusted node in the global community.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 May 2026 – As Singapore deepens its commitment to becoming a world-leading AI hub, the question of how organisations build AI that is trusted — by customers, regulators and international partners — has become as consequential as how fast they build it. Today, KPMG took a significant step in answering that question with the launch of its Trusted Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence (AI CoE). Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), the AI CoE is a dedicated capability hub designed to help organisations move beyond AI experimentation and embed AI as a trusted, enterprise-ready asset.

At the same event, KPMG also unveiled its Trusted AI Assurance — a structured, business-focused, evidence-based approach that gives Singapore businesses a rigorous multi-faceted assessment of their AI deployment and a clear pathway to scale confidently. Today’s launch — bringing together government, enterprise and the professional services sector — signals a pivotal shift in the national AI conversation: from speed to scale of adoption where trust is the foundational bedrock of deploying AI.

The Trusted AI CoE was officially launched by Ms Jasmin Lau, Minister of State, Ministry of Digital Development and Information & Ministry of Education, alongside Mr Jermaine Loy, Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), and Ms Lee Sze Yeng, Managing Partner of KPMG in Singapore.

KPMG’s 2025 Global CEO Outlook shows that more than seven in ten CEOs now rank AI as a top investment priority — yet for many, the gap between ambition and sustained enterprise impact remains wide. Governance, data readiness and workforce capability are the defining constraints of this next phase of adoption. Singapore-based businesses face a further dimension: as they expand regionally and globally, they need their AI systems to be trusted not just at home but across multiple jurisdictions — each with its own regulatory expectations and stakeholder standards.

Lee Sze Yeng, Managing Partner at KPMG in Singapore, said: “Across every sector, we are seeing the same pattern: organisations that moved fast on AI are now asking harder questions — where is the real value, are our people genuinely ready to work alongside AI, and can we stand behind the decisions our systems make? These are not technical questions. They are leadership questions. And for Singapore businesses with ambitions beyond our shores, there is an added dimension: the trust that matters to customers and regulators in the markets you are entering may be defined differently from what is required here. Through the KPMG Singapore Trusted AI Centre of Excellence, we are partnering with businesses to rigorously assess where they stand, close the gaps that matter, and build AI that is trusted not just locally but in the markets most critical to their growth. Trusted AI is not a constraint on ambition. Done well, it is the foundation for it.”

Jermaine Loy, Managing Director, EDB, said: “KPMG’s Trusted AI Centre of Excellence here in Singapore will enable businesses across diverse sectors – including financial services, healthcare, logistics and manufacturing – to scale use of AI with confidence, supported by robust governance frameworks and assurance capabilities. At the same time, this strengthens Singapore’s growing AI ecosystem by building enterprise capabilities and workforce readiness for AI adoption. We welcome KPMG Singapore’s efforts to work with EDB and the relevant agencies in advancing Singapore’s position as a globally trusted hub for AI deployment and innovation.”

Trusted AI Assurance — Giving Singapore Businesses a Foundation to Scale AI

For Singapore businesses, the ambition to scale AI is rarely the obstacle. What is harder — and more consequential — is the question of whether the AI they are building and deploying can genuinely be stood behind: by their boards, by their customers, employees and by the regulators and partners they will encounter as they grow beyond Singapore’s shores.

KPMG’s Trusted AI Assurance offering (the “Trusted AI Assurance”) was developed in response to the need to address the trust deficit with AI in the business community to boost adoption. It is not a certification exercise or a compliance checklist. It is a rigorous, evidence-based independent assessment that gives leadership teams an honest picture of where they stand — and a clear, practical path to where they need to be.

What makes it meaningful is its specificity. The Trusted AI Assurance is calibrated to each organisation’s sector, operating context and growth ambitions — because a financial institution navigating cross-border data regulation faces a fundamentally different set of questions from a manufacturer embedding AI into operational workflows, or a healthcare provider deploying AI-assisted diagnostics. Generic benchmarks serve neither well.

The assessment examines two things that are often conflated but must be considered separately: whether an organisation has the governance, culture and leadership practices to deploy AI responsibly; and whether the AI solutions it has built or acquired are themselves trustworthy — documented, risk-assessed, well-integrated and performing as intended. An organisation can have the right intentions and still be running AI that falls short of what its stakeholders — or another country’s regulators — would accept.

Across four domains, the Trusted AI Assurance examines what genuinely matters:

AI Governance — Whether the frameworks, operating models, policies and procedures that govern AI are real and embedded, not aspirational documents that sit untouched between audits.

AI Systems — The AI systems themselves: how they are documented, how risks are inventoried, how models are integrated into business workflows, and whether the data foundations — including Retrieval-Augmented Generation, pipelines and datasets — are robust enough to be relied upon.

AI Regulatory Compliance — How prepared an organisation is for the regulatory environments it currently operates in, and those it intends to enter. For Singapore businesses with expansion ambitions, this is often where the most important gaps surface: the Trusted AI Assurance can identify whether a specific AI system meets the requirements for deployment in a given market — such as the European Union — or what adjustments would make it so.

AI Security — The strategies and processes in place to protect AI systems, manage privacy, and ensure the organisation can detect, respond to and recover from threats as they evolve.

The stakes are sharpest for businesses in highly regulated sectors. Financial institutions, healthcare providers and infrastructure operators have long been accustomed to navigating complex compliance environments — and Singapore’s AI governance frameworks are among the most developed in the region. But as the EU AI Act moves into full enforcement, a new and specific set of expectations is taking effect for any organisation deploying AI within European markets, or handling the data of European citizens. What satisfies regulators here does not automatically satisfy regulators there.

The reality is one of regulatory diversity: different jurisdictions are building their AI governance regimes at different speeds, with different emphases, and with different evidentiary requirements. A Singapore company that has passed relevant local standards may still find that its AI systems require different documentation, greater explainability, or additional human oversight controls to operate with compliance and trust in a European context. Discovering that gap in the middle of a market entry, a cross-border partnership or a regulatory review is a risk that can be avoided.

The Trusted AI Assurance maps these jurisdictional differences, giving organisations a clear read of where they stand against the specific requirements of markets they are entering — before those requirements become obstacles. It is aligned with globally recognised standards including the EU AI Act, the NIST AI Risk Management Framework, ISO 42001 and Singapore’s Model AI Governance Framework, ensuring that what organisations build here is credible and defensible everywhere.

The Trusted AI Assurance is coupled with consultancy guidance — from KPMG or partnered stakeholders — ensuring every assessment leads to a practical path forward. The intent is to give Singapore businesses the clarity and confidence to grow their AI ambitions without having to rebuild trust from scratch in new markets they enter into regionally or globally.

A Framework for Singapore’s AI Ambition: The Four Doors

Beyond the Trusted AI Assurance, organisations can leverage the AI CoE to assess their broader AI strategies through KPMG’s Four Doors framework — four strategic pillars that help Singapore businesses move from isolated pilots to trusted, sustained AI at scale. Together, they address what it takes for Singapore to be not just an AI-capable nation, but a globally trusted one: where the AI solutions developed and deployed here meet the expectations of regulators, partners and customers worldwide.

Value — From Activity to Impact: Establishing the clear metrics and sector-specific solutions needed to distinguish AI activity from measurable business value, across Financial Services, Government, Healthcare, Real Estate, Infrastructure and Manufacturing.

Trust — Trusted-by-Design AI: Built on a human-centric foundation encompassing ten ethical pillars — including Fairness, Transparency, Accountability, Privacy and Sustainability — the Trust pillar puts responsible governance at the centre of AI strategy, rather than treating it as a compliance afterthought.

People — Genuine AI Fluency: Covering sustainable AI workforce strategy, job redesign, leadership development and change management — from executive ignition sessions that build board-level commitment to the behavioural shifts needed to embed AI into everyday working practices.

Data and Technology — Scalable Foundations: Establishing the trusted data and technology infrastructure that enterprise AI requires, supported by KPMG’s proprietary platforms and a market-ready suite of AI tools, with rigorous attention to data quality, system integration, product development and enterprise-wide AI deployment.

For Singapore’s business community, the Four Doors offer a structured path to becoming AI-trusted — not just AI-active. As global regulatory standards tighten and international partners raise governance expectations, that distinction will increasingly determine which Singapore enterprises are positioned to lead in the markets they enter.

Building AI Capability in Singapore

The Trusted AI CoE (the “CoE”) is designed to function as a capability hub to support Singapore’s position as a trusted node in the global community — co-creating knowledge, accelerating innovation and strengthening Singapore’s AI ecosystem across the business community, academia and the public sector.

At its core is a dedicated innovation team of AI/Software Engineers, Solution Architects, Data Analysts, Product Managers, Tech Business Analysts and Designers — 100 per cent Singapore-based and locally hired. This specialist nucleus is complemented by KPMG’s 3,600-strong Singapore workforce and over 275,000 professionals globally, giving the CoE both deep technical capability and multi-disciplinary reach across Audit, Advisory and Tax.

Solutions co-developed through the CoE are pressure-tested with KPMG as default “Client Zero” where appropriate — rigorously iterated across the firm’s own operations before being brought to clients. Initial focus sectors include Financial Services, Infrastructure and Logistics, Manufacturing, Government, Healthcare and Real Estate, alongside functional domains such as Finance, Governance Risk and Compliance, Customer Services and Operations. Strategic partnerships with technology companies, academic institutions and government agencies further support Singapore’s ambition to serve as a trusted and well-governed regional AI hub.

KPMG’s Commitment to Singapore

KPMG is the world’s first professional services firm to attain ISO/IEC 42001 certification for AI Management Systems — the globally recognised standard for responsible AI governance. This underpins every element of today’s launch, reflecting KPMG’s commitment to practising what it advocates: embedding the disciplines of trusted AI governance into its own operations before bringing them to clients.

KPMG continues to invest in Singapore’s AI talent pipeline through international mobility programmes, internal rotations and capability development across data, digital and leadership disciplines — directly aligned with Singapore’s national goal of growing the skilled workforce its AI ambitions require.

ANNEX: Bringing the KPMG Singapore Trusted AI Centre of Excellence to Life

To bring the KPMG Trusted AI Centre of Excellence (AI CoE) to life, guests at the launch were invited to explore four interactive stops (“windows”) showcasing how trusted AI can move from strategy into real-world enterprise and national impact.

FIRST WINDOW – AI Philosophy

The first window introduced guests to KPMG’s Four Doors framework and Trusted AI Assurance – an evidence-based approach designed to help organisations move from AI experimentation to AI that is genuinely trusted by their boards, their customers, and the regulators and partners they encounter as they grow beyond our shores.

Through an interactive scenario set in the financial services sector, the demonstration illustrated how organisations are assessed across four strategic pillars: Value, Trust, People, and Data and Technology. The walkthrough explored whether businesses have the governance structures, workforce readiness, data foundations and operational oversight needed to support trusted, scalable AI deployment.

1. Value — Whether the organisation has clearly defined what its AI investments are meant to deliver, and whether it has the metrics to distinguish genuine business impact from mere AI activity
2. Trust — Whether the organisation’s AI is built on a responsible, human-centric foundation — covering governance frameworks, ethical guardrails, risk management, security and accountability for AI-driven decisions
3. People — Whether the workforce, from board to frontline, has the genuine AI fluency needed to work alongside AI systems, including the leadership commitment, job redesign and capability development required for adoption to take hold
4. Data and Technology — Whether the data assets, infrastructure and system integration practices are robust enough to support trusted, scalable AI deployment

The experience also demonstrated how AI systems themselves are assessed – including areas such as system documentation, risk inventories, model integration and data platform robustness – highlighting the importance of building AI that is genuinely trusted.

1. System Card — Whether each AI solution is properly documented, including how it performs and how it is used in practice
2. Risk Inventory — Whether AI systems across the enterprise have been identified and their risks catalogued
3. Model Integration — Whether adequate processes and controls govern how AI models are integrated into business workflows
4. Data Platform — Whether the data foundations underpinning AI outputs — including Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) pipelines and datasets — are fit for purpose

A second stage of the scenario then explored the reality of regulatory diversity across jurisdictions. While an organisation may be assessed as “trusted” in Singapore, areas that require attention may emerge when expanding into international markets such as Europe under the EU AI Act.

The demonstration underscored the growing importance of regulatory readiness for Singapore businesses with international ambitions, and how the AI CoE is designed to help organisations expand with confidence through trusted AI governance.

SECOND WINDOW – AI Journey

The second window focused on KPMG’s “Client Zero” approach, where suitable AI solutions are developed and applied within its own operations under real-world conditions, and in some cases co-developed with clients depending on their specific needs. This model reflects a simple philosophy: credibility in guiding responsible AI adoption must be earned by applying the same discipline internally. This approach is particularly relevant in Singapore’s context, where trust and reliability are central to how AI is being adopted across sectors.

KPMG’s “Client Zero” approach provides a structured pathway for scaling AI responsibly. Solutions are first embedded into live workflows – allowing organisations to address practical considerations such as human oversight, explainability, data handling and accountability – before broader deployment. This mirrors the journey many enterprises in Singapore are now facing, as they transition from pilots to AI that can be relied on consistently in regulated, cross-border environments. This shift is important, as trust at scale is built not through experimentation alone, but through systems that are reliable, auditable, and able to operate consistently across different contexts.

At this window, MOS will see this pathway brought to life with AI applied across real business workflows, through three solutions: KPMG’s Digital Gateway (DG) GenAI, KPMG Clara Intelligence and Kiara. These solutions are already implemented in real-time across KPMG’s various functions.

The first demonstration illustrates how the audit and tax professions are beginning to deploy AI agents within their workflows to enhance how work is performed. Rather than treating AI as standalone tools, these capabilities are being embedded into business processes to support analysis, decision-making and execution in a controlled and accountable manner. DG GenAI, KPMG’s Generative AI capability embedded within our Digital Gateway platform, will be used as a demonstration of how this is operationalised in practice — showing how AI capabilities can be integrated into everyday workflows, with appropriate governance, data security and user controls in place.

The second demonstration presents KPMG Clara Intelligence, an intelligent AI-powered platform which acts as a centralised platform. KPMG Clara Intelligence showcases the future of audit, where AI is used to support data-driven risk assessment, better insights and analysis and decision-making on a single platform. This reduces reliance on manual processes and enables auditors to focus on higher-value judgement, improving both efficiency and audit quality. MOS will see how this reflects a broader shift in the profession — towards AI-assisted workflows that require new skills and deeper analytical capabilities.

This window also highlighted how AI is reshaping the accountancy and professional services sector. As AI becomes embedded into core workflows, roles within the profession are evolving — routine, manual tasks are increasingly automated, allowing professionals to focus on higher‑value judgement, analysis and advisory work. At the same time, this shift requires a broader base of AI fluency across the workforce, not just among specialists, as professionals will need to work alongside AI systems in their day‑to‑day roles.

These changes are driving a wider rethinking of skills development across the sector, including how institutions and employers prepare current and future talent. Efforts are underway to align training and education pathways with these evolving needs, ensuring that individuals entering the profession — and those already in it — are equipped to operate effectively in an AI‑enabled environment. This reflects a broader transition towards a workforce that combines strong domain expertise with AI capabilities, in line with Singapore’s ambition to develop an AI‑bilingual workforce.

The third solution, Kiara, is KPMG’s GenAI recruitment assistant, illustrating how AI can enhance the candidate engagement and streamline scheduling of interviews. This highlights how AI is not only transforming business processes, but also how people work and interact with technology.

Overall, the window demonstrated how these solutions reflect the same principles KPMG advises its clients to adopt: strong data foundations, embedded governance, and human oversight at key decision points – illustrating the practical steps organisations take to deploy AI responsibly at scale, underpinning the rigour required for Singapore to continue its progress as a trusted hub for AI.

THIRD WINDOW – AI Vision

The third window focused on how AI does not merely change the tools organisations use, but changes the nature of work itself – which roles exist, how decisions are made, and what it means to be genuinely capable in a professional environment.

As organisations navigate AI-driven workforce transformation, the showcase highlighted the same set of questions organisations consistently grapple with: which roles are genuinely enhanced by AI, and which risk being hollowed out? Where should organisations invest in reskilling, and on what timeline? How are accountability and professional standards maintained when AI is embedded into decisions that used to rest entirely with a person?

The insight that emerges across sectors is consistent: organisations that treat AI workforce transformation as a technology deployment tend to underinvest in the human dimensions – and that is where adoption stalls, quality erodes or trust breaks down. The organisations that get it right treat it as a leadership and organisational design challenge first, with technology as the enabler.

The window also demonstrated how KPMG Mystro , an AI-enabled workforce intelligence platform, is used to map how work is done today at the task and decision level, and model where AI can responsibly augment human roles across functions such as finance, audit and operations.

Drawing on examples from finance, audit and operations, the showcase illustrated professionals working alongside AI in ways that redirect their expertise toward work requiring human judgement. More broadly, it reinforced the importance of approaching AI transformation not simply as a technology deployment exercise, but as a broader leadership and organisational design challenge.

Singapore’s commitment to building an AI-bilingual workforce – professionals who are not merely aware of AI but genuinely capable of working alongside it, questioning its outputs and being accountable for the decisions it informs – rests on organisations taking the human dimension of transformation as seriously as the technology itself. The insights at this window speak directly to that agenda: what it takes to build not just AI capability, but the kind of AI-confident workforce that sustains Singapore’s competitiveness over the long term.

FOURTH WINDOW – AI Ecosystem

The fourth window focused on how trusted AI adoption cannot be the preserve of large enterprises alone. Singapore’s economic resilience depends on its SME community — the businesses that form the backbone of the economy and that stand to gain enormously from AI, but that often lack the resources, expertise or confidence to navigate adoption responsibly.

Referencing the DBS Spark GenAI programme and DBS SME AI Playbook – developed through a collaboration between DBS and KPMG, and supported by SkillsFuture Singapore – the showcase highlighted practical pathways designed to help SMEs build awareness and accelerate their AI adoption through tailored pathways depending on their AI maturity.

1. Start — For businesses at the beginning of their AI journey: practical orientation on what AI can realistically deliver, where to begin, and what foundational steps to take before committing to more significant investment
2. Accelerate — For businesses that have taken initial steps and are ready to move further: guidance on identifying higher-value use cases, building internal capability and managing the operational changes that come with deeper AI adoption
3. Scale — For businesses ready to embed AI more systematically: the governance, integration and workforce considerations that responsible scaling requires

The window also highlighted the broader support ecosystem available to SMEs, including a broader ecosystem of over 16,000 solution providers globally via IMDA’s Open Innovation Platform, alongside the SME AI Playbook which offers practical use cases, success stories from real businesses, FAQs and an AI readiness diagnostic tool.

Economy-wide AI adoption – the kind that drives meaningful productivity gains across the full breadth of Singapore’s business community – only happens if SMEs are part of the story. The DBS SME AI Playbook is a direct response to that reality: a practical, accessible entry point into AI adoption calibrated to the real constraints and real ambitions of smaller businesses.

The collaboration between DBS and KPMG reflects how Singapore’s AI ecosystem works at its best: financial institutions, professional services firms, government platforms and businesses working together to make trusted AI adoption accessible to every part of the economy, not just its largest players.

Hashtag: #KPMG

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Source: Green Party

Allegations that the Prime Minister’s office withheld information about backroom lobbying by major climate polluters – ahead of legislating to prevent court action against those same corporations – must be investigated, says the Green Party.

“The facts are that major polluters had a meeting with the Prime Minister and that the full extent of that meeting and the briefings provided by Fonterra and Z Energy were not disclosed, intentionally or otherwise, by the Prime Minister’s office,” says Green Party Co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.

“As we now know, those lobbyists got their way when Luxon’s Ministers announced earlier this month they would be changing the law to actively protect those corporate polluters from legal responsibility for their emissions.

“These basic facts inevitably lead to very serious claims of corruption; that the Prime Ministers’ office is not being honest about the extent of the influence that industrial lobbyists have. That Fonterra and Z Energy, both major climate polluters, can turn up with secret hard-copy briefings, and essentially re-write the country’s laws in backroom deals.

“Regular people don’t get to give secret documents and have backroom meetings with the Prime Minister and then have the law changed in their favour,” says Swarbrick.

“There are serious questions here about who Luxon is governing for and how. There’s now tangible proof that even the OIA isn’t enough for the Government to provide transparency or to be up-front-and-honest about conversations so influential that laws will be re-written.

“It’s in everybody’s interest for an independent inquiry to establish the truth, motivations, and who knew what in this situation.”

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/25/nz-democracy-at-risk-of-corporate-corruption-green-party-backs-urgent-inquiry/

Source: New Zealand Government

Minimum English language requirements under the Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) are being extended to skill level 3 roles, Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says. 

From 1 June 2026, the requirement will apply to ANZSCO and National Occupation List (NOL) skill level 3 roles, aligning them with the existing English language requirements for skill levels 4 and 5. 

“Skill level 3 is now the largest part of the AEWV cohort. Around half of AEWV applications are for skill level 3 roles, compared with 16 per cent for skill levels 4 and 5 combined,” Ms Stanford says. 

“Being able to communicate in basic, everyday English ensures that workers understand their rights and engage effectively at work and in the community while they are here.

“The required standard is the current baseline (IELTS 4.0 or equivalent), which demonstrates basic, everyday English for common situations, not a high or advanced level of English.

“With the introduction of two new skilled residence pathways in August it is also important that people coming to New Zealand for mid-skilled roles with aspirations for residence arrive with a minimum of basic, everyday English. They will then have up to five years to meet the higher level of English required for residence.

The new requirement will apply to AEWV applications made on or after 1 June 2026 and people who currently hold an AEWV that expires after 1 December 2026 who apply for a further AEWV at skill level 3. 

Notes to editor:

From 1 June 2026, minimum English language requirements will apply to ANZSCO and NOL skill level 3 occupations recognised by Immigration New Zealand under the AEWV. 
The required standard is the current baseline IELTS 4.0 or equivalent. 
Transitional arrangements include AEWV holders whose visas expire on or before 1 December 2026 being exempt from the new English language requirement when applying for a skill level 3 AEWV to obtain the balance of their maximum continuous stay. 
AEWV holders who have already provided evidence that they meet minimum English language requirements as part of a previous application will continue to be treated as meeting the requirement. 
Global Workforce Seasonal Visa and Peak Seasonal Visa AEWV applications are not required to meet the minimum standard of English, and the requirement does not apply to Job Change applications. 

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/25/english-language-requirement-extended-to-aewv-skill-level-3-roles/

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Investor migrants using the Active Investor Plus Growth category will soon be able to include a philanthropic component as part of their overall investment in New Zealand.

From 1 June 2026, applicants in the Growth category will be able to include philanthropic gifts of up to 20 percent of their total investment, with the remainder continuing to be invested in higher-growth assets. 

“The Active Investor Plus Visa is designed to attract experienced investors who can make a meaningful contribution to New Zealand’s economy and communities,” Immigration Minister Erica Stanford says.

“The Growth category is focused on investment that supports business growth, innovation and productivity. Allowing a capped philanthropic option adds flexibility, while keeping the category’s focus on strong economic outcomes.

“Over the last year I have met a number of investors, potential investors, and heard from charities, asking for investors to be able to contribute directly to social, environmental, conservation, or cultural good in New Zealand through a philanthropic gift as part of their AIP Visa. While that option is currently available in the Balanced category, it is not available in Growth which attracts the majority of applications.

“This expansion to Growth gives investors the option to support eligible charities or specified Department of Conversation initiatives with philanthropic gifts alongside their investment,” Ms Stanford says. 

“Charities make invaluable contributions to our communities and for many a philanthropic gift can make a significant difference in being able to continue their important work.

“I particularly thank Conservation Minister Tama Potaka for his work to drive changes in the conservation space.”

The Growth category minimum investment remains NZD $5 million. Under the new settings, philanthropy can make up to 20 percent of that total ($1m), and the remaining investment must continue to be in acceptable investments.

Eligibility for registered charities to receive philanthropic gifts via the AIP Visa will also be strengthened. Charities must have been operating for at least five years, be a Tier 1-3 charity, and the philanthropic gift must be used to benefit New Zealand and cannot personally benefit the applicant.

“This expansion retains the Grown category’s focus on active investment, while recognising that philanthropy also supports positive outcomes for communities alongside strong economic investment,” Ms Stanford says.

More information on the detailed requirements will be available on the Immigration New Zealand website.

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/25/aip-visa-growth-category-expands-to-philanthropy/

MIL OSI

Source: New Zealand Government

Small businesses will get practical support to strengthen performance and seize growth opportunities, with a new Government-backed training initiative announced today at the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce conference.

“In my engagement with businesses across the country, I’ve heard the need for support to manage disruption, strengthen resilience, and plan with confidence,” says Minister for Small Business and Manufacturing Cameron Brewer.

“That is why today I am announcing a new package of fully funded business resilience training for small and medium enterprises.”

The funding will support businesses to improve preparedness, strengthen continuity planning, and reduce vulnerability to disruption.

“We are committed to fixing the basics and building the future, and that’s why it is important we ensure small businesses have support they need to grow, compete, and succeed,” says Mr Brewer

“Delivered through the Regional Business Partner Network (RBPN), this training will include online webinars and in-person workshops across the country, providing practical tools without the cost barrier,” says Mr Brewer.

This work complements the existing support available through the RBPN. 

“The initial focus will be on practical tools to manage change and strengthen business continuity planning, giving businesses skills they can apply straight away,” says Mr Brewer.

“Rolling out nationwide from now until August, the programme will upload online content on business.govt.nz so businesses can access support on demand, which will be available for free for eligible small and medium enterprises,”

“In Business Continuity and Resilience Awareness Week, and in a more uncertain and volatile world, being prepared for disruption is no longer optional – it is part of building long-term business success.”

Notes to editors: 

The initiative will be delivered through the Regional Business Partner Network (RBPN). For more information, businesses can contact their local Regional Business Partner or visit: Find your local Regional Business Partner – Business.govt.nz. 
Training will be delivered as a series of workshops and webinars between May and August and content will also be available on business.govt.nz.
Business Continuity & Resilience Awareness Week (BCAW+R) is the BCI’s annual campaign equipping professionals and organisations with practical tools to raise internal awareness and strengthen organisational resilience. More information can be found here: Business Continuity & Resilience Awareness Week (BCAW+R) 2026 | BCI. 

Original source: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/05/22/package-to-support-small-businesses-announced/

MIL OSI