Nicola Willis condemns use of ‘C' word in Parliament
The ACT minister was responding to a question from Labour when she used the word. Video / Mark Mitchell
Watch a heated back and forth around the topic of pay equity. Video / Parliament TV
Greens promise $88b taxes including 33% inheritance tax for massive social safety net expansion. Video / Mark Mitchell
"I think it was, you know, a heroic effort on her part," says Kardashian's lawyer, after the reality TV star appeared in Paris court.
An ambulance was stolen and taken for a joyride in Timaru while medical staff were preparing a patient for transfer. Video / Supplied
NZ Herald Live: David Seymour speaks to media on budget 2025
David Seymour speaks with Mike Hosking about the new $140 million Getting kids in School programme. Video / NZ Herald
NZ drug markets shift online, Covid-born kids face school challenges, and Trump meets Saudi leaders on visit to Middle East.
Reporter Marii is at the World Dance Crew Championships, where hip hop duos from all around the world, including Auckland's En-Locked, are battling for medals and cash.
Released by second-tier English club Hull City, Mason Johnson has now made Napier City Rovers his home. Video / Neil Reid
Reporter Marii is at the World Dance Crew Championships, where hip hop duos from all around the world, including Auckland's En-Locked, are battling for medals and cash.
Police forensics team and detectives continue to comb Onekawa properties in the hunt for Kaea Karauria's killer. Video / Neil Reid
National and Labour accuse each other of lying over pay equity claims. Video / Mark Mitchell
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Scoop
3 hours ago
- Scoop
Prison Inspection Report Released For Mount Eden Corrections Facility
The Office of the Inspectorate today (Wed 20 Aug) released its inspection report for Mount Eden Corrections Facility (MECF). MECF, in central Auckland, housed around 1,100 prisoners at the time of the inspection (October 2024), 95% of whom were on remand. It was a busy site with, on average, 600 prisoners arriving and leaving each month. Chief Inspector Janis Adair said the inspection found: 'Leadership at the site was generally stable and settled. Staff, including custodial and health staff, mostly had the skills and knowledge to do their jobs.' Many staff, however, had less than two years' experience working in a New Zealand prison, and many had English as a second language. Some of these staff struggled to understand cultural differences in New Zealand. The custodial team was also short-staffed and, partly due to this, most prisoners were subject to restrictive regimes, spending around 22 hours a day locked in their cells. MECF was providing opportunities for prisoners to engage with their families/whānau, including regular in-person visits. The inspection team found examples of positive practice, including one unit being run as an alcohol and drug recovery unit, providing a rehabilitation programme and other mental health and addiction focused sessions. The Property Office had a selection of good-quality clothes and shoes, donated by the charity Common (previously known as Koha Apparel), for people being released from prison who had nothing suitable to wear. Adair said the prison was 'a stark and austere environment with no green spaces, limited natural light and few outdoor areas. This makes it a challenging environment for both staff and prisoners.' Most prisoners and staff said they felt safe, but many prisoners did not feel safe in mainstream units. Most prisoners did not have jobs, and there were limited educational, cultural (such as tikanga courses or kapa haka) or constructive activities available. Prisoners told us they were bored, stressed and frustrated. The health team provided good levels of care, generally in a timely manner, although some prisoners waited unreasonable lengths of time to see a nurse or medical officer. We found some good practice in the management of prisoners with mental health issues, but prisoners in the Intervention and Support Unit (including some with serious mental illnesses), were effectively being denied association (that is, being able to mix with others). For some, this likely amounted to prolonged solitary confinement, as this is defined in the Mandela Rules. The report makes 31 over-arching findings. 'I expect the site to create an action plan to address the findings of this report ... I look forward to working with the site as I continue to monitor progress,' said Adair. The Inspectorate is a critical part of the independent oversight of the Corrections system and operates under the Corrections Act 2004 and the Corrections Regulations 2005. The Inspectorate, while part of Corrections, is operationally independent, which is necessary to ensure objectivity and integrity. The inspection process provides an ongoing insight into prisons and provides assurance that shortcomings are identified and addressed in a timely way, and that examples of good practice are acknowledged and shared across the prison network. Note:
NZ Herald
4 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Western Bay teachers strike over 1% pay rise offer
'And we can't do that with the Government's latest pay offer.' Sam Oldman at the Western Bay of Plenty PPTA strike in Tauranga. Photo / Ayla Yeoman Oldham said the Government had been 'completely unreasonable' with its offer of a 1% increase per year for three years. 'We can't work with that.' Oldham said a more appropriate offer would be 4% each year for three years. Oldham said large numbers of teachers were leaving to teach in Australia, where they could get paid tens of thousands of dollars more, often with cheaper costs of living. The Western Bay of Plenty Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) strike against the 1% pay rise offer from the Government. Photo / Ayla Yeoman 'We want to be competitive with Australia and other jobs in New Zealand.' Oldham said he wanted to stay in New Zealand because he loved living here and his family and children were here. 'I grew up here and I don't want to have to leave my country in order to get a decent quality of living. 'I actually want to stay here and build a great public education system that my kids can go through.' Oldham said the strike was also protesting the cancellation of 33 pay equity claims in controversial legislation passed by the Government under urgency in May. Another Mount Maunganui College teacher, Lance Talstra, said he did not want to live in Australia. He was a Kiwi 'born and bred'. Lance Talstra at the Western Bay of Plenty PPTA strike in Tauranga. Photo / Ayla Yeoman 'The pay is not in line with inflation, so effectively it's a pay cut. 'But, in addition to being a 1% pay rise, we're also being asked to do a lot more in terms of new curriculum,' he said, referring to the recent announcement that NCEA would be abolished. Talstra said the changes to the curriculum meant a significant amount of time investment for the same amount of pay, 'which is clearly unfair'. He said he would like an offer that lined up with inflation. 'There are a lot of people who are doing it tough at the moment. I'd like to be doing better myself.' Members of the Post Primary Teachers' Association marched from Red Square in Tauranga's city centre. Photo / Ayla Yeoman Another striker, who did not want to be named, said they were striking for investing in teachers for a better education system that would benefit the students. 'I'm here for the students because, my working conditions, that's what they have to learn in,' they said. 'It affects their ability to learn.' The march ended at a picket line at the Cameron Rd and Elizabeth St intersection. Photo / Ayla Yeoman Labour MP Jan Tinetti, who is a former principal of Merivale School, attended the protest and said the offer was 'absolutely appalling'. She said she took leave from parliament today to join the strike because she felt so strongly about the importance of the teachers. Labour MP Jan Tinetti at the Western Bay of Plenty PPTA strike in Tauranga. Photo / Ayla Yeoman 'Our teachers are under a lot of stress at the moment. They are the people who impact on our future like no other profession does. 'They are the key to our future.' Education Minister Erica Stanford asked the PPTA in an announcement yesterday to return to the table in good faith. 'You can't negotiate when you're sitting at the table by yourself, and that's what we've found over the last little while.' She said the government and the union had just had another round of negotiations, and they had recently seen some 'good faith moves' from the PPTA, but would not go into further detail. 'All I can say is there have been some more good faith moves on behalf of the PPTA, which is really good to see.'
The Spinoff
5 hours ago
- The Spinoff
Echo Chamber: Wait, who's keeping track of the rules around here?
Welcome to the House of Representatives, where the standing orders one week aren't the same the next week. Echo Chamber is The Spinoff's dispatch from the press gallery, recapping sessions in the House. Columns are written by politics reporter Lyric Waiwiri-Smith and Wellington editor Joel MacManus. Do you ever get tired of people beating the same old drum? Some are worn down from so much use that what once were crashing bangs are now dull thuds. In the House of Representatives, for example, the cost-of-living drum once beat loudly and now sounds more like a low hum. But most thrashed is the standing orders drum, whose cymbals are so coated in patina it's hard to know what the writing underneath says – so you might as well just make it up as you go along. For Tuesday's question time session, Labour leader Chris Hipkins and prime minister Christopher Luxon beat their same old drum ('does he stand by all his government's statements and actions?', 'yes') and landed on the same old notes that the government swears are still in tune. But when Hipkins tried to press Luxon on why the average Hohepa should cough up nearly $100 to see their doctor while tobacco companies have enjoyed a massive tax cut, he pressed someone else's buttons instead. 'Point of order.' Winston Peters rose to his feet. No one should be able to come into this House and base a question on a supposed $300m tax cut – 'and it was $200m', he clarified – which came from a reduction in the sales of cigarettes and tobacco, and amount it to what he's saying. 'And they've done it for the umpteenth time.' Finance minister Nicola Willis, perhaps in audition mode for the role of future prime minister, egged the show on: 'Give him some advice! Surely you get it?' And the voice of Labour MP Megan Woods cooed back, 'ooohh, Nicola!' The speaker and the Chrises moved on, but Peters couldn't let go of the tobacco conversation. While Chippy now wanted to talk about tax breaks for tech companies, Peters wanted to clear up the record for the misunderstood tobacconists bravely and boldly trying to operate in an increasingly pro-health world. 'Point of order, Mr Speaker,' he began. 'We have sat here for month after month while those members have repeated that lie in the House.' He carried on, but there was something flapping around in his periphery, the arms of Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick trying to get the speaker's attention. 'Seriously?' Swarbrick – back from a week-long ban from the House for encouraging her fellow MPs across the aisle to look into the benefits of growth in the vertebrae – cried out. Longtime fans of parliament's standing orders may remember the fact that 'reflecting on a member's character' – in this case, implying or straight up saying they're lying/are a liar – is a punishable enough offence to get kicked out of the House, like when Labour's Willie Jackson was ejected from the chambers last year for calling David Seymour a 'liar'. Hipkins rose for a point of order. Mr Speaker, just last week you named and ejected a member for saying they were struggling to find members with a backbone – 'how is accusing members of lying any different?' Well, Brownlee replied, 'it is quite different in my head' – because one of those comments was directed 'very personally at members of parliament', and the other was a question about repeating a lie. Interesting point – no two days are ever truly the same in this building, so why should the way the rules are applied be the same every day? 'Wait on, what I'd say to you is,' Brownlee began, and quickly corrected himself. 'Oh, I don't like that saying. The member knows there is a remedy by way of the standing orders to have that corrected.' Raising a privilege complaint would be 'pushing it too far', Brownlee told Hipkins, and all the while, Peters grinned away in his seat. Trying to turn the tide back into the left bloc's favour, Hipkins channelled his inner gen Z to let the nation know he's still cool and with the kids, unlike that other Chris across the aisle. 'When he says that the economy and the country are turning the corner, while food prices continue to skyrocket, unemployment continues to go up,' Hipkins began, 'why won't he simply admit that his government is all 'delulu' and no 'solulu'?' 'Sorry, could he repeat the question?' Luxon asked. 'I didn't understand it.' No, we don't need that repeated, Brownlee decided – we'll move on. It didn't take long for Peters to resume the defensive position, after Labour's finance spokesperson Barbara Edmonds questioned Willis over the dead-in-the-water iRex ferry project, which cost $671m and returned no new ferries. Peters was keen to rectify another 'lie' – actually, the previous Labour government had already spent $471m on the project before we even came to power, he told the House. Peters sought leave from Brownlee to 'table an article' – which was actually commentary to the select committee – from February 2024, when KiwiRail confirmed the price tag from the Labour side. Brownlee let him, but not correcting Peters' use of 'article' came back to bite him when Labour's Kieran McAnulty stood up, and asked to 'table a document which shows Christopher Luxon is the least popular prime minister in 30 years'. 'Check yourself before you wreck yourself,' Peters called. What ensued was a small back and forth, where Brownlee conceded he had made a rare misstep, but now it was time to get on with it. 'You can disrupt the House all you like, I'm not changing my mind,' Brownlee told McAnulty. 'Stop trifling in my direction.'
