Labour ends 18-year pledge to price agricultural emissions
Labour has confirmed it will not campaign on pricing agricultural emissions, ending an election commitment the party has carried in various forms since 2008.
Centrist
Living Wage group puts Labour pledge at $100m over four years
Labour has promised to extend the Living Wage across the state sector.
New Zealand already restricts some benefit spending as Florida goes further
Florida is moving to become the first US state to stop families using Temporary Cash Assistance for a broad list of non-essential purchases, including vaping products, tattoos, video games, theme-park admission and fortune-telling.
Greens can't say how much cheaper KiwiMart would be, say government won't set prices
The Green Party proposes a government-run supermarket chain, KiwiMart, to disrupt the current duopoly and lower food prices in New Zealand.
Patients left waiting weeks for lifesaving procedures amid bed shortage
A shortage of cardiac beds and staff in Wellington and Christchurch hospitals is leaving patients at risk and waiting weeks for treatment instead of the recommended days.
Janet Dickson ruling shows New Zealand’s regulator reforms fall short
In brief The Real Estate Agents Disciplinary Tribunal has upheld the refusal to exempt Janet Dickson from a compulsory Māori tikanga course.
Māori-medium students top results while early switchers fall to bottom
In brief Māori students who remain in Māori-medium education through to school leaving record the strongest NCEA attainment and retention among the groups analysed.
Kia Ora Ake’s $12m accountability vacuum
In brief Kia Ora Ake receives about $12 million a year to provide mental health and wellbeing support across more than 180 Counties Manukau schools and settings.
2050 heatwave report gives 'Back to the Future' vibes, makes embarrassing errors
An expensive ratepayer-funded climate change report has predicted future “extreme heatwaves” for Auckland which, perhaps embarrassingly, turn out to be colder and shorter duration than heatwaves a century ago.
Luxon makes Paris membership non-negotiable without saying how New Zealand will meet the target
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says remaining in the Paris climate agreement will be non-negotiable in post-election coalition talks.
Māori-medium attendance at 42% as Seymour says kura told him ‘leave us alone’
Regular school attendance improved nationwide in term two, but remained at just 42% among students predominantly learning in te reo Māori.
Fuel-tax rise delayed as emergency fund siphoned to cover part of shortfall
The government has replaced the 12-cent-a-litre fuel excise increase due on 1 January 2027, with a series of smaller rises beginning in 2028.
Labour’s 2,400-nurse guarantee is costed for just 350 additional jobs
Labour has promised every eligible New Zealand-trained nursing graduate a public health job, potentially covering about 2,400 graduates each year.
National offers lower student-loan deductions at home and tougher penalties offshore
National says it will cut the compulsory student-loan repayment rate for New Zealand-based borrowers from 12% to 10%, while increasing penalties and enforcement for borrowers who leave the country.
Banks agree on next OCR hike, but BNZ sees rates reaching 4% by May
Economists at New Zealand’s five largest banks expect the Reserve Bank to raise the Official Cash Rate by 0.25 percentage points on Wednesday, taking it from 2.50% to 2.75%.
Five New Zealanders still missing as Nepal flood toll worsens
The whereabouts of five New Zealanders remain unknown after catastrophic flash floods and landslides struck the Nepal-China border region last week.