Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Police are responding to a two-vehicle crash on Hutt Road near the Petone Overbridge.
The crash involving a bus and a van was reported at about 10:20am.
The road is currently blocked. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.
No injuries have been reported.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Government
Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters will travel to New York and Washington DC later this week for discussions on world affairs and to continue to build New Zealand’s ties with the United States.
Mr Peters will hold meetings with members of the Trump Administration including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, other US political contacts, and senior representatives of the United Nations.
“The United States is one of New Zealand’s closest and most important partners,” Mr Peters says.
“This visit provides a chance for the New Zealand Government to engage directly with the Trump Administration in Washington on our mutually beneficial bilateral relationship.
“New Zealand and the United States have a long history of close and broad cooperation in pursuit of shared interests, and we look forward to discussing in Washington how to continue building on that in the months and years ahead.”
A wide range of international issues will also be discussed during Mr Peters’ visit.
“Whether Ukraine, Gaza, the Indo-Pacific or security cooperation, there’s a lot to discuss – and we look forward to doing so both in New York and in Washington DC.”
Mr Peters departs New Zealand on Thursday 13 March and arrives back on Friday 21 March.
Source: New Zealand Government
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has today welcomed the publication of Pharmac’s Consumer Engagement Workshop Report.
“Increasing availability of medicines has always been a priority of mine. For many New Zealanders, funding for pharmaceuticals is life or death, or the difference between a life of pain and suffering or living freely,” Mr Seymour says.
“For the first time Pharmac has its own Minister. Last year I outlined in my letter of expectations that Pharmac should have appropriate processes for ensuring that people living with an illness, along with their carers and family, can participate in and provide input into decision-making processes around medicines – this is committed to in the Act-National Coalition Agreement.
“The workshop reflects our commitment to a more adaptable and patient-centered approach and follows last year’s Medicines Summit, my letter of expectations, and the acceptance of Patient Voice Aotearoa’s White Paper as actions to achieve this.
“Historically engagement with consumer and patient advocates has been unequal and inconsistent because there is no existing framework for them to engage with Pharmac. This workshop has acted as a forum for honest engagement where patients and advocates voiced their hopes at resetting the patient – Pharmac relationship.
“One thing is clear, the relationship as it stands, is unproductive.
The report recommends that the Board:
Invite workshop participants, in association with the wider consumer-patient representative community, to select a reference group to work with Pharmac’s Board and management to reset the relationship between Pharmac and the consumer/representative community.
Suggest that collaboration with the reference group should focus initially on the following areas:
Improving Pharmac’s communications practices.
Improving the HTA application process.
Developing a ‘fast track’ process for medical technologies already adopted overseas and supported by real world evidence.
Developing recommendations on how consumer/patient organisations can play a greater role in Pharmac’s decision-making processes.
Highlighting administrative and supply issues that create needless cost and hardship for patients.
Collaborating on a timetable and agenda for further engagement
Agree that resources are allocated to cover the secretariat costs for the work of the reference group, and future workshops with the wider community and/or smaller sector-based groups.
Agree that the reference group should play an active role in any wider reform of Pharmac.
“I hope the Board takes this opportunity to continue to prioritise expanding opportunities and access for patients and their families by expanding access to more medicines for more groups,” Mr Seymour says.
“The Government is doing its part. Last year this government allocated Pharmac its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift to give Pharmac the financial support it needs to carry out its functions – negotiating the best deals for medicine for New Zealanders.
“We want to build a world-class health system, and that requires access to world-class medicines.”
Notes to editors:
Please find the full report here: https://www.pharmac.govt.nz/pharmac-consumer-engagement-workshop-report
Source: ACT Party
The world keeps changing, as Free Press surveyed last week. So far, trade wars have not affected New Zealand or interrupted our usual diet of domestic political stories about lunches and Wellington gossip. That could change quickly and we’ll be watching closely for trade trouble coming to our farmers and manufacturers. Meanwhile, New Zealand reached out to the world with the Infrastructure Investment Summit on later this week, the contrast reminds us New Zealand actually needs the world to function and invest.
For many people, the ACT Party began with them reading Richard Prebble’s excellent classic I’ve Been Thinking. The book is nearly thirty years old but the heart of the party is summed up as the line ‘this is not like bad weather’; you can change your future.
Prebble bases the thesis on an unusual but fascinating source. 1950s’ academic David McClelland took it upon himself to study nursery rhymes in different cultures, thinking that whatever parents told young children was a window into a culture’s true beliefs.
Long story short, McLelland divided the stories into luck-based stories and achievement-based stories. In some stories characters drifted along at the whims of mystical powers, in others they took charge and changed their future.
Prebble pointed out the popularity of Aladdin at the time of his book may not be good for us, we wouldn’t get rich by rubbing magic lamps. On the other hand, McClelland predicted the Japanese, with their achievement-based stories, would quickly recover from the destruction of WWII to become an economic powerhouse.
Free Press has limited intel on contemporary Kiwi nursery rhymes. We worry about hagiographies of Jacinda Ardern, and stories about the magic of being born Māori, and we hope they’re not representative.
We do know a bit about public policy since Prebble remarked on Aladdin. We think there are clues about why this country has lost its mojo, and how to lead the country back to it, in the simple idea that people should be able to make a difference in their own lives.
Since the mid 1990s basically every policy has been designed to disconnect effort from reward, and our productivity growth has tanked. Take the NCEA.
When Prebble wrote there were such things as School C and Bursary. These exams were kept secret until the moment every student at that year level and subject sat it at the same time. The NCEA changed all that, you could pick your units and do them in your own time, as many times as you liked.
This year when the Government said there would be a mandatory minimum level of numeracy and literacy testing, principals went berserk. They said it wasn’t fair, students might fail. What hope do their students have in the real world with educational leadership like that?
Subsidies and price caps have made tertiary education an offer young people can’t refuse. Interest free loans and price caps on tuition mean degrees for everyone, but the value of them has declined at the same time. You’re damned if you do spend three years and take on $40,000 of debt, but everyone else has so you’re damned if you don’t.
Remuneration has been compressed so that many people’s efforts make less difference to their outcome. Working for Families is effectively a guaranteed minimum income, but if you want to go above that you lose massively to abatement.
When Michael Cullen became Finance Minister, in 1999, there were two income tax rates, 19.5 and 33. Now there are five, from 10.5 to 39, and the top rate is nearly four times the bottom rate. Combined with Working for Families, if you work harder you get whacked harder, but the reverse is also true.
Pay equity, brought in under a National Government, has a similar effect. It compares workforces (say nurses and prison guards) and decides what to pay them. It means whole professions are paid based on what a Judge thinks their work is worth, because of who they are not what they do.
Added to all this is the thicket of employment law meaning it is very difficult to get dismissed for bad behaviour, and employers find it easier (but not easy) to just pay up rather than fight. This can be true even if they’re caught on a technicality like failing to properly tell someone how not to steal on the job.
Outside of education, remuneration, and employment policies, red tape and regulation add costs to nearly everything and prevent productive activity, but we are running up against the word count here.
One thing we can’t ignore, though, is the Treaty industry. The entire reinvention of the Treaty this century, is based on the unspoken assumption that our history is our destiny. You are either a victim or a villain because of things other people did a century or more before your own birth. That is the ultimate form of determinism.
Now, all is not lost. The current Government is putting content back into the curriculum, rolling back the mediocre Te Pukenga that briefly replaced polytechs with one-size-fits all averageness.
Brooke van Velden got rid of ‘Fair Pay’ Agreements and extended 90-day trials, now she’s on to holiday pay, health and safety, contracting, and personal grievances.
The Ministry of Regulation is going sector through sector reducing red tape, and Treaty determinism is being rolled back in multiple policy areas. All well and good. If the trick to getting our national mojo back is to reconnect effort and reward, then the Government is heading in the right direction.
ACT is one party that can point to pushing it there, but given the pervading sense of decline in New Zealand right now, ACT will need to keep the Left from taking us back again, and give the current Government the boldness to go further.
Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Roading crews resealing parts of State Highway 2 south of Hastings are now working between Waipawa and Pakipaki.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi is asking drivers to expect delays to their journey times through this area, with stop/go traffic management in place from today until next Saturday 15 March – between 7am and 6pm each day.
Please adhere to temporary lower speeds and be careful when driving over loose chip.
A stretch of State Highway 2 through Central Hawke’s Bay will be closing in a week’s time for 6 nights for resealing.
The road, between the intersection with SH50 and Waipawa, will close overnight from Sunday 16 March.
Crews will be onsite between 8pm and 5am each night, with work expected to finish 5am on Saturday 22 March.
Signposted detours will be in place.
For more information about the detours, visit https://www.nzta.govt.nz/media-releases/detours-available-for-6-nights-of-resealing-on-sh2-central-hb/
Because of the wet weather earlier last week, crews were unable to complete asphalting on the roundabouts near Napier. Tonight (Sunday 9 March), the road between Taradale Road and Meeanee Road will be closed from 8pm to 5am so crews can complete the asphalting. Short detours are available and will be signposted.
This state highway is a vital connection between Hawke’s Bay and the Manawatū-Whanganui region. The busy 2024/25 summer renewals season is almost complete but there are a number of projects to finish first including the daytime resealing on SH2. We know the delays and disruption these roadworks cause have the potential to be frustrating. We appreciate road users’ patience and support while the work takes place.
We know that by doing this work now, during the warmer, longer days, we expect future disruptions, especially during the colder, wetter months, will be kept to a minimum.
Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Tania Jellyman
A homicide investigation has been launched after the death of a man in Mairehau, Christchurch last night.
Emergency services were called to an address on Innes Road around 9:15pm.
Upon arrival, a man was located with critical injuries.
Despite urgent treatment, he died at the scene.
Scene guards are in place at the address while Police work to determine the circumstances around the death.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
A petition signed by more than 10,000 people calling on the government to scrap plans for corporate tax cuts will be delivered at a public online event this Monday morning. (ref. https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/say-no-to-corporate-tax-cuts )
Speakers include economist Ganesh Nana and the event will see the official delivery of the petition, which urges Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Minister of Finance Nicola Willis to reject corporate tax cuts.
The petition was launched in the wake of the Prime Minister and Finance Minister recently suggesting that the Budget might contain cuts in the corporate tax rate and has harnessed widespread public opposition to tax policies that disproportionately benefit corporations at the expense of essential public services.
Tax Justice Aotearoa chair Glenn Barclay says the timing of the petition’s delivery is set to coincide with the Government’s investment conference, and reinforces the call for economic policies that prioritise public wellbeing over corporate interests.
“By delivering this petition now, we seek to highlight the importance of a fair tax system that supports all New Zealanders,” Mr Barclay said.
“Cutting the amount that corporates contribute will not stimulate economic growth – it will reduce the resources that we need to ensure our public services can provide us with timely and decent care and support.
“Just reducing the corporate tax rate by 1 percentage point would result in a loss of $650m in revenue and you could do a lot with that money to make New Zealand a better place for all.
“Corporates such as the banks, power companies and supermarkets have been making record profits in recent years – we should be looking at ways in which they can contribute more, not less.”
Journalists are invited to attend the event and participate in the Q+A that follows.
Event Details:
Date: Monday, 10th March
Time: 9:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Location: Online – register here ( https://our.actionstation.org.nz/events/say-no-to-corporate-tax-cuts-results-of-the-petition )
Speakers: Ganesh Nana – Economist; Kassie Hartendorp – Director, ActionStation; Glenn Barclay – Chair, Tax Justice Aotearoa
Source: Media Outreach
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 March 2025 – In 2025, global markets are navigating a phase of economic uncertainty as potential inflationary pressures induced by trade tariffs, shifting central bank policy, and geopolitical risk shape trading conditions. Traders who integrate fundamental analysis into their strategies can navigate these uncertainties more effectively, positioning themselves ahead of major market movements. Kar Yong Ang, a financial market analyst at Octa Broker, explains how traders can leverage fundamental analysis to anticipate market shifts and capitalise on economic developments.
Basics of Fundamental Analysis
Fundamental analysis is a method of analysing how political and macroeconomic factors can affect the future price of an asset. Traders normally evaluate geopolitical events, economic releases, and industry trends. Both macroeconomic and microeconomic statistics, including GDP, employment data, and company profits, are employed in the analysis. For example, the German economic slowdown of 2024, driven by mounting energy prices and decreasing industrial output, led to a reduced 2025 growth forecast of just 0.3%, and this affected German equities and investor sentiment.
Government policies and central bank actions have a strong impact on market sentiment. For instance, in 2025, fresh U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports fuelled stagflation concerns, leading to a rise in gold prices while weakening risk-sensitive currencies.
‘Another recent example of how policies impact markets is when, in February 2025, President Trump put a 25% tariff on imports of steel and aluminum starting from March 12. The policy was to protect domestic industry but created a threat of rising inflation and slowing economy’, shares Kar Yong Ang. ‘The market response was quick. By the end of February, CME Midwest Domestic hot-rolled coil steel costs has increased by more than 30% since Mr. Trump entered his office. American business activity dropped considerably, with the S&P Global Flash U.S. Composite PMI Output Index dropping to 50.4 in February from 52.7 in January, its lowest level since 17 months ago. The fall was attributed to increasing tariffs and federal government expenditure reductions that made financial conditions tighten across industries’.
How Fundamental Analysis Differs from Technical Analysis
While technical analysis focuses on price charts and trends, fundamental analysis considers broader economic and corporate financial factors to predict an asset’s value. Blending both methods enhances decision-making. Those who rely only on technical analysis risk ignoring some external factors that may drive price increases or drops, regardless of indicator-based insights. What is more, conducting both technical and fundamental analyses allows you to identify more facts to support your trading assumption or spot emerging facts that contradict your trading hypothesis. This reduces the risk of implementing speedy, chaotic decisions.
Client-focused brokers tend to include fundamental and technical analysis capabilities in their trading platforms’ toolkits. For example, Octa broker’s proprietary platform, OctaTrader, features Space, a feed of expert-curated insights embedded into the app. Space offers relevant and timely trading ideas anchored in fundamental and technical analysis and allows traders to copy these ideas to their charts in a couple of clicks, enhancing decision-making and driving more informed, precision-based trading.
Key Economic Indicators Every Trader Should Track
How Traders Use Economic Calendars
Economic calendars are essential resources for traders since they provide scheduled releases of important economic data, central bank statements, and geopolitical events.
Traders who follow the events can anticipate potential market fluctuation and prepare a potentially profitable trade or apply risk management. For example, set or adjust stop-loss, as well as close all the positions to hold out potential volatility. Itэs important to protect your funds, even if you strongly anticipate specific decisions on interest rate, inflation, and so on. From time to time, the market faces monetary policy surprises when a central bank takes an unexpected decision, urging market volatility: for example, ECB’s negative interest rates in 2014, Fed’s emergency rate cuts in 2020, or Bank of Canada’s rate hike pause in 2023.
Risk Management in Fundamental Analysis
Volatility is a natural сhallenge for any trader, especially during major economic events. Central bank decisions, inflation levels, and political tensions have a tendency to trigger aggressive price movements, which render risk management a core component of any strategy. Professional traders employ hedging instruments and prudent position sizing to contain potential losses in order to control these movements.
Geopolitical events are a great example of the impact of external forces on trading. The Russia-Ukraine war, for instance, disrupted energy supplies and increased oil prices, rewarding the traders who had anticipated these shortages in supply. Those who were closely monitoring geopolitical events and taking position adjustments were able to capitalise on such price fluctuations, validating the inclusion of geopolitical analysis in trading models. President elections are another event to watch. For instance, traders who followed the 2024 US elections could have prepared for market volatility by anticipating Trump’s tariffs and his more friendly stance on the crypto industry.
By tracking key economic indicators such as GDP growth, inflation, and interest rates, traders can make long-term forecasts and adjust their positions to take advantage. Coupling fundamental knowledge with technical analysis allows to make trading strategies stronger, enhancing the decision-making process. This approach also improves risk management as traders analyse more factors and can better identify potential price movements.
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Disclaimer: Trading involves risks and may not be suitable for all investors. Use your expertise wisely and evaluate all associated risks before making an investment decision.
Hashtag: #Octa
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
Source: New Zealand Government
The Government will get major infrastructure projects underway faster by speeding up land acquisition and delivering fairer payments for landowners, Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop and Land Information Minister Chris Penk say.
“The Government is committed to a strong pipeline of critical infrastructure projects to boost economic growth and productivity. While the wider Public Works Act (PWA) overhaul is continuing and on track to be completed by early next year, today we’re announcing some immediate action,” Mr Penk says.
“In the coming months, we’ll be amending the PWA to accelerate the acquisition of land needed for the public projects that are listed in Schedule 2 of the Fast-track Approvals Act, and the Roads of National Significance listed in the Government Policy Statement on land transport 2024. It is intended that amendments will come into force six months before wider PWA review amendments.
“Public infrastructure projects up and down the country are often held up for years by overly complex, drawn-out processes for purchasing the land needed. This has meant that projects which would provide massive benefits for communities end up stalled, with the only action happening in courtrooms.”
“Basically, as a country, we’ve accepted too many reasons to say no. The result has been long, drawn-out legal battles over land acquisitions that have cost time, money and livelihoods. All New Zealanders deserve better – not only those who will benefit from a project, but also the people whose land is needed for it. It’s time to say yes to getting stuff done,” Mr Bishop says.
“We are going to overhaul the Public Works Act to tear down these roadblocks. As part of the reforms, we will put premium payments on the table for landowners whose land needs to be purchased for major public infrastructure projects, and we’ll create a streamlined objections process for nationally and regionally significant projects.”
The amended legislation will feature:
“Objections to the compulsory acquisition of land under the Public Works Act can massively slow down delivery of critical infrastructure projects, causing significant time delays and cost increases.
“These delays and cost increases are unacceptable, which is why the Government is prioritising amendments to the PWA related to critical infrastructure now,” Mr Bishop says.
“Over the past ten years, 49 objections have been received for compulsory land acquisitions just for NZ Transport Agency projects.
“The new accelerated objections process will mean we can work through any objections far more quickly. Then we can get on with delivering important infrastructure projects that will help grow our economy so New Zealanders can get ahead.”
The proposal supports the Coalition Agreement between National and New Zealand First to prioritise strategic infrastructure and simplify the planning system.
A draft Bill is expected to be introduced to Parliament in May, with the public invited to provide feedback through the select committee process.
Note to Editor:
Source: New Zealand Government
Initiatives announced this week underscore the Government’s commitment to fix New Zealand’s broken healthcare system, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.“We are relentlessly focused on improving health outcomes and ensuring Kiwis have access to timely, quality healthcare.“That’s why we are spending more on health than ever before – a record $30 billion each year.“Making it easier for people to see a doctor or nurse at their local GP clinic in a timely manner is a key part of this.“That’s why I announced a significant package this week to improve access to primary care and boost the primary care workforce, including:
100 clinical placements for overseas-trained doctors to work in primary care.
Incentives for primary care to recruit up to 400 graduate registered nurses per year for five years.
A $285 million uplift to funding over three years for general practice from 1 July, in addition to the capitation uplift general practice receives annually.
An increase in the number of training placements for doctors at medical schools by a further 25 each year, meaning 100 more doctor training places will be added over the course of this Government.
Up to 50 New Zealand-trained graduate doctors a year to train in primary care settings.
A new 24/7 digital service for all New Zealanders to be able to access online medical appointments.
Up to 120 training places for nurse practitioners specialising in primary care.
Accelerating advanced tertiary education for up to 120 primary care registered nurses.
“Strengthening urgent and after-hours care will also be a focus of mine as part of our plan to enable faster access to primary care, and work on this is underway.“We are also focused on delivering better outcomes for those with cancer, including earlier detection of cancers through screening programmes.“This week, I was pleased to announce that the Government has agreed to progressively lower the age of eligibility for bowel cancer screening tests to align with Australia, which is 45 years old. By delivering the first step of lowering the age to 58, more lives will be saved.“We know that improving screening rates is crucial, which is why we also announced a significant investment for targeted initiatives that aim to increase screening rates among population groups with low rates, such as Māori, Asian, and Pacific Peoples.“This follows our decision to extend breast screening to women aged 70 to 74 and our $604 million boost to Pharmac over four years to deliver new cancer treatments and medicines.“Finally this week, I outlined my key five priorities as Minister of Health to put the focus firmly back on patients:
Focusing Health New Zealand on delivering the basics.
Fixing primary healthcare.
Reducing emergency department wait times.
Clearing the elective surgery backlog.
Investing in health infrastructure.
“Our plan supports our Government’s wider commitment to rebuild the economy, restore law and order, and deliver better health, education, and infrastructure for every New Zealander. Kiwis want action, and I am focused on delivering real change at pace.“We will not stop until our health system delivers timely, quality care to all New Zealanders.”
