Rotorua letters to the editor: Number of homeless a shocking reflection
Roll on the local body elections!
Jackie Evans
Pukehangi
Boost for inner city
Re Shake-up for inner-city parking (Rotorua Daily Post, July 11). I think it is an absolutely brilliant idea (which) would stop me dreading going into the city centre and it would make the city centre compete with the malls again.
Everybody likes a level playing field, it would boost the inner city business no end.
Gavin Muir
Springfield
Fair deal for retirees
What an excellent article by Shane Te Pou on the subject of retirement village charges, especially highlighting the costs if one has to sell the unit (Opinion, July 14). Ingrid Leary's new Member's Bill is well overdue as this has been the case for years now and should be a priority for this Government.
Anne Foale
Tikitere
Bigger issues than butter
So why the obsession with the price of butter for goodness' sake? It is but one factor in the overall cost of living crisis, and while its financial gymnastics have a media following worthy of the once youthful Olga Korbut, hasn't the Minister of Finance got much bigger issues to deal with? Or has she been sucked into the trivia the media seeks to blind us with when there are much bigger issues at hand?
We live in a big world of injustices, crime, bumpy roads, desperate health care shortages, global warming ... and we focus on the price of butter? Or is it perhaps that it's all a bit too hard and the reality has set in, that no government can fix this broken world, so we'll bury our head in Fonterra's chest and cry 'injustice'?
John Williams
Ngongotahā
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NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
Hobson's Pledge use of Rotorua kuia's image: Whānau consider legal options
He would not name the advertising agency. Hobson's Pledge came under fire after billboards around New Zealand, including in Rotorua, Hamilton, Whangārei and Christchurch, showed a photograph of grandmother Ellen Tamati with her moko kauae with the words alongside her image, 'My mana doesn't need a mandate, vote no to Māori wards'. The image was taken by travel photographer Rafael Ben Ari at the Waitangi Day celebrations in 2025 and, among others, was licensed to stock image websites iStock by Getty and Shutterstock. They were labelled for 'editorial use only'. Tamati said she completely disagreed with the billboard's message and never gave permission for her photo to be used in a political way, a breach of the websites' conditions. The photographer could not be contacted. Tamati, aged in her 70s, is distraught after what her whānau say were actions that trampled on her mana. Hobson's Pledge said in a statement that it immediately removed the billboards when it discovered Tamati was upset. The statement said it would reach out privately to Tamati to ensure she was okay. Tamati's granddaughter, Anahera Parata, said yesterday that her grandmother had not received an apology. Brash told the Rotorua Daily Post earlier that afternoon that Hobson's Pledge had not yet personally apologised to Tamati. 'I'm not sure we know how to contact her ... New Zealand's a big country.' When the Rotorua Daily Post said it found Tamati's whānau members online within minutes of looking, Brash said: 'We will work harder then'. Brash contacted the Rotorua Daily Post later yesterday afternoon to say a team member had contacted someone they thought was a relativewho told them 'in more dramatic words' to 'get lost'. 'It's about tīkanga' Parata said her grandmother was isolating herself. 'She's not doing too great ... She wants it all to go away.' Parata said the whānau engaged a lawyer to look at their options. 'My nan, she just wants it to be gone. She is not one to want for money, never has been, it is about tīkanga and what they [have] done is wrong.' She said the whānau had not heard from Hobson's Pledge and were not sure yet how they were going to respond. 'We have told her to turn her phone off and rest.' A legal view Lawyer Tania Waikato, who has published research on Māori intellectual property issues, said in her opinion the stock image websites were clear that the photo was for 'editorial use only' and could not be used in the manner they were. Waikato said 'serious questions' should be raised around Hobson's Pledge's assertions it had done nothing wrong. Lawyer Tania Waikato says "serious questions" should be raised. Photo / File She said both websites stated 'editorial use only' content referred to images and videos that did not have a 'model or property release on file'. She said this meant they could not be used for commercial, promotional, or advertising purposes without permission, particularly from a person in the photo. She said those types of images often portrayed real-world people, places, events and things and were intended to be used only in connection with events that were newsworthy or of general interest. 'This photo of Whaea Ellen was taken at Waitangi in 2025, which is the context and event that it might have been used for – stories about Waitangi Day." She said users of these websites have an option to purchase a further licence that could potentially allow them to use 'editorial use only' photos for commercial uses (such as billboard advertising), but Hobson's Pledge did not appear to have provided any documentary proof that this type of licence was obtained. In any event, Waikato said, both websites were clear that such photos could not be used in a defamatory way, or specifically in the Shutterstock licence 'in a political context, such as the promotion, advertisement or endorsement of any party, candidate, or elected official, or in connection with any political policy or viewpoint'. 'All of these points raise serious questions as to whether Hobson's Pledge did in fact secure all rights to use the photo as they have claimed they did and warrant further investigation.' A Hobson's Pledge newsletter sent on Thursday afternoon and attributed to Brash said the group would be getting new billboard designs completed in the next couple of days and hoped to have them back up next week. Kelly Makiha is a senior journalist who has reported for the Rotorua Daily Post for more than 25 years, covering mainly police, court, human interest and social issues.
Scoop
01-08-2025
- Scoop
NZ First Bill Legislates 'New Zealand' As Official Name Of Country In Law
Rt Hon Winston Peters Leader of New Zealand First New Zealand First has today introduced a Member's Bill that seeks to state in law that 'New Zealand' is the official geographic name of our country. 'Over the past few years, we have had a bunch of unelected bureaucrats, officials, government departments, and politicians trying to change our country's name by stealth - with no permission or consent from the people' says Rt Hon Winston Peters Leader of New Zealand First. The 'New Zealand (Name of State) Bill' confirms that 'New Zealand' is our country's official name, and it is only parliament and the people, not bureaucrats, government departments, or officials, that have the authority to make decisions about the name of the country. 'The vast majority of New Zealanders are shocked at this insidious creep of misguided and misinformed cultural history of the name 'Aotearoa'.' 'Any true historian or cultural expert would know that it was never the original Māori name for New Zealand – and we should not allow it to be misused for cultural virtue signalling.' 'Colonialist William Pember Reeves incorrectly used 'Aotearoa' in the late nineteenth century, now the cultural hand-wringers have embraced his mindset.' 'Don't force the South Island's iwi Ngāi Tahu to use 'Aotearoa'. In 2021, Ngāi Tahu said the history of the name 'Aotearoa' originally referred solely to the North Island.' Putting the name 'New Zealand' in law will also provide constitutional clarity and legal certainty. 'The name 'New Zealand' is recognised around the world as the name of our country, and any uncertainty about that risks our global economic markets and political identity that we have built, and spent billions of dollars promoting, over many decades' says Mr Peters. 'Our country's name is New Zealand and should not change unless the people of our country decide to change it.'
NZ Herald
01-08-2025
- NZ Herald
Making ‘New Zealand' country's official name added to NZ First's ever-changing list of bills
'Inconsistency in recent years in the way public agencies and officials describe the country – including partial or informal use of other names has created uncertainty regarding the legal foundation for making those choices.' Winston Peters has been frustrated lately by the use of "Aotearoa" in Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell It's the eighth Member's Bill the party has announced this year, but due to the rules of Parliament, NZ First is only able to have four in the ballot at any one time. Only MPs who aren't ministers – NZ First has four backbenchers – can have Member's Bills and they can only have one in the ballot at a time. This has meant the party has had to shuffle out several of the bills it has previously announced, but which remain on NZ First's website as 'Our Member's Bills'. For example, the 'Conscience Acts Referendums Bill', which was revealed in March to remove conscience votes in Parliament and instead require some particular legislation to go to a national public referendum, no longer appears on Parliament's website. It was previously held in the name of NZ First MP Jamie Arbuckle. But he now has a bill protecting New Zealanders' right to use physical currency. Other bills to pulled out recently include a bill to have a binding referendum when deciding whether to add fluoride to drinking water, one to remove diversity, equity and inclusion aspects from the public service, and another to improve access to palliative care. In some instances, the bills have been overtaken by events. For example, the Government's Public Service Amendment Bill, which this week passed its first reading, intends to remove diversity provisions. When the party announced a Member's Bill to clarify the definition of a woman and man in law, it removed another bill that would fine people who use a single-sex toilet not matching their own sex. Peters said the new proposal addressed the issue more comprehensively. The party says if it could have all of its bills in the ballot at once, it would. Those not currently in the ballot, but which have been announced, remain current policy and could be returned. MP Andy Foster has had a number of bills under his name. Photo / Mike Scott The party's MP Andy Foster has been the sponsor of many of the bills, before they have then either been picked from the ballot, transferred to another MP or removed. For example, earlier this year, his bill to stop banks withdrawing services from clients for 'woke' reasons was picked from the ballot and began going through the parliamentary process. This meant he could add another to the ballot, which ended up being the bill to remove diversity elements from law. Eventually, however, this was dropped and he picked up another requiring government buildings to only display the official flag of New Zealand. But after the resignation of NZ First's Tanya Unkovich, this bill was transferred from Foster to new MP Dr David Wilson. Foster now has the bill about the country's name. The four bills currently in the ballot for NZ First are: Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill – Jenny Marcroft Cash Transactions Protection Bill – Jamie Arbuckle Display of Flags (Government Premises) Bill – Dr David Wilson New Zealand (Name of State) Bill – Andy Foster. NZ First MPs in Parliament. Photo / Mark Mitchell The newest bill comes after several showdowns between Peters and Parliament's Speaker Gerry Brownlee over the use of 'Aotearoa' in Parliament. Peters has bristled when other MPs have used it in questions. In March, Brownlee ruled 'Aotearoa' was 'regularly used' as a name for the country including by the country's geographic board. He noted it appeared on the country's passport and currency, and Parliament's rules allowed MPs to use English, te reo Māori or sign language. Peters subsequently told the Herald that Brownlee was 'wrong' as the matter had 'never gone to the people of this country'. The NZ First leader raised the issue again last week, leading Brownlee to reiterate his previous comments. Brownlee said: 'In his time serving New Zealand, in the capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs, he would've, over some five years or more, presented the New Zealand passport at various passport stations around the world and never had questioned the fact that our passport has the word Aotearoa on the front of it. 'It was always a New Zealand passport despite the use of that word. That is the end of the matter.' Following that, Minister for Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden confirmed the New Zealand passport would eventually be updated to have English appear before the te reo Māori text. In a release on Friday morning, Peters said 'a bunch of unelected bureaucrats, officials, government departments and politicians trying to change our country's name by stealth – with no permission or consent from the people'. 'The 'New Zealand (Name of State) Bill' confirms that 'New Zealand' is our country's official name, and it is only parliament and the people, not bureaucrats, government departments, or officials, that have the authority to make decisions about the name of the country.' NZ First's coalition agreement with National includes a commitment about not changing the country's name. 'Commit that in the absence of a referendum, our Government will not change the official name of New Zealand.' Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub press gallery office. In 2025, he was a finalist for Political Journalist of the Year at the Voyager Media Awards.
