Business of Tech: Labour's new spokesman for tech Reuben Davidson on ‘crisis that's been created'
Reuben Davidson, Labour's new spokesman for science, innovation, technology, broadcasting and the creative economy, isn't shy about the scale of the challenges facing New Zealand's high-value sectors or the damage he says the current Government is doing.
In this week's episode of The Business of Tech, the former TV producer, who won the Christchurch East seat in the 2023 general election, is scathing of the coalition Government's approach to science and innovation, particularly funding cuts, redundancies and the 'rolling change' that's left researchers and innovators in limbo.
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NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Poor information sharing between government agencies means NZ not keeping pace with organised crime
'The public reasonably expects government agencies to use information that it has collected to lawfully target organised crime, both domestically and internationally. That requires the information to be proactively shared. That is not happening,' the panel wrote. 'There also appears to be a deeply rooted culture of a risk-averse approach towards proactive sharing of information.' The Privacy Act was regularly cited by government agencies as a reason to not proactively share information, often on the advice of lawyers, especially after high-profile cases that had led to public criticism. This approach was not shared by the Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster, who is quoted in the report as saying: 'Nine times out of 10, it's organisational culture or systems issues that stop effective and needed information sharing from taking place – not the law.' In a section of the report titled 'Organised crime is organised – we are not', the expert panel said that while there are legal avenues for information to be shared among government departments, such as memoranda of understanding, they are not applied consistently. In particular, Inland Revenue (IR), which holds tax records that can be crucial to investigations into organised crime, was singled out for mention. 'IR has told us that it recognises the approach it has traditionally taken to information sharing may have been too conservative, and there is scope to be more pragmatic,' the expert panel wrote. 'This mirrors feedback we received from a number of other Government agencies.' The ministerial advisory group said the same lack of information sharing flowed into the private sector, which held a wealth of useful information and should be a key partner in the fight against organised crime 'Many businesses want to help. Information that would assist businesses in high-risk industries such as ports and airports to disrupt and prevent organised crime, such as key trends, emerging threats and features of organised crime, are not being provided,' the panel wrote. 'Businesses want this information. Sector leaders that we spoke to told us that they want a seat at the table. They want to help to design the solution. But they are being overlooked.' A group of experts advising the Government says more information needs to be shared with private businesses, such as the Port of Tauranga, to help combat organised crime syndicates bringing drugs through the border. Photo / George Novak The advisory panel recommended the establishment of a national plan, rather than separate ones for individual government departments, to clearly set out what information can be shared. This national framework should be accompanied by a 'data lake' – a platform, or centralised repository, to make the data easy to search. In time, AI could also interrogate the data to identify trends or other leads for further investigation. To move away from a risk-averse culture, the panel also recommended that information-sharing benchmarks be set as performance measures for the chief executives of government departments. 'Senior leaders steer the direction of their agencies – if they are motivated to improve the culture, that motivation should filter down through the organisation.' The advisory group has made recommendations to Costello on a different organised crime topic each month since March, such as corruption and money laundering, with a final report to be published in September. But it has already warned the coalition Government that bold changes are needed urgently as New Zealand was 'losing the fight' against transnational organised crime, illustrated by how the country was flooded with methamphetamine. Despite more drugs being seized than before, the consumption of methamphetamine more than doubled in 2024 to the highest levels recorded in national wastewater testing. Jared Savage covers crime and justice issues, with a particular interest in organised crime. He joined the Herald in 2006 and has won a dozen journalism awards in that time, including twice being named Reporter of the Year. He is also the author of Gangland, Gangster's Paradise and Underworld.
NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Letters: If we want to limit words in te reo Māori, what about words in English?
Surely every parent wants to hear their child's teacher say, 'He tohunga tō tamaiti ki te pānui' ('Your child is great at reading'), and for the parent to respond 'Ehara, ehara' ('Absolutely'). Sue Leman, Mt Albert. The children can cope It is astonishing to note so much alarm over the inclusion of Māori words in the reading programme for 5-year-olds. Surely teachers and children can both cope with the inclusion of vocabulary that many learners would already be familiar with. Songs in Māori, counting and skipping rhymes are known and often sung in kindergarten and pre-school situations. Most young children entering school would happily cope with 'pukeko' or 'pipi' as part of daily life and vocabulary. Growing up in New Zealand, they are also used to Aotearoa as the name of our motu. We have a hybrid language already; it's not easy or desirable to separate English and Māori usage. As a writer for Red Rocket Books, used as supplementary readers in junior classes, I am delighted to find some of my early titles being produced in Māori. Why would we want to backtrack on the language progress that has already been made? Would the education authorities please reconsider this restrictive attitude towards early school learning? Diana Burslem, Epsom. Blood-and-guts debate Gerry Brownlee has done it again! Add this latest fiasco in the debating chamber to his long list of 'Gerry Brownlee Gaffes' - and yes, there is a page with a list of at least 10 major gaffes on it. Brownlee defended his actions by saying Chlöe Swarbrick's words were directed personally at other coalition MPs. Oh no! That being the case then, why was Labour's Kieran McNulty not sent from the House in July last year when he said, 'They are spineless and gutless because they have given in to the whims of their coalition partners just to get into power', when referring to National. He went on to say, 'Utterly spineless and gutless.' There are many other examples of references to spines and guts being used, even by Sir John Key, which Brownlee enthusiastically applauded at the time. If anyone should be asked to apologise for their hasty actions, it's Brownlee. But I'm guessing he will be too gutless, or should that be spineless? Steve Jardine, Glendowie. Add to that list . . . Chlöe Swarbrick, the co-leader of the Green Party, was asked to leave the House yesterday for the second time after calling MPs spineless, or questioning whether enough of them had spines, and refusing to apologise. I support the cause Chlöe was espousing, in its essence, and also her right to make that comment in the House without being asked to leave. However, I wonder if she will now add to her list of spineless MPs two former Prime Ministers, (Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins) and two former ministers (Grant Robertson and Ayesha Verrall), who have all chosen not to appear in public hearings for the Covid Royal Commission of Inquiry, despite being asked to do so, as announced on Wednesday. Claire Chambers, Parnell. In support of Peters' approach It would seem that Hamas has now come out and thanked all of those nations that, in recent weeks, called for the recognition of a Palestinian state. Hamas claims that this was its ultimate aim and that it is grateful for the international support. That would underscore why Chlöe Swarbrick's call for support from 'six of 68 government MPs with a spine' was, in fact, way off course, and that Winston Peters' more cautious approach makes total sense. John Pendreigh, Westmere. Good on Chlöe! What Chlöe Swarbrick said in the House, and to reporters afterwards, was right on the money, and she should not have been told to withdraw her statement and apologise. Good on her for not doing so. Glenn Forsyth, Taupō.
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Scoop
Govt's Justification For Last-minute RMA Changes Appears To Directly Contradict EU Free Trade Agreement
The Government's attempt to justify last-minute changes to the Resource Management Act appear to contradict New Zealand's commitments under our Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, say freshwater campaign group Choose Clean Water. On Tuesday, the Government issued a press release stating that its last-minute changes to the Resource Management Act, which would allow agricultural and industrial pollution of waterways to continue where it's causing 'significant adverse effects on aquatic life', are 'Urgent economic action to protect exports'. The Government is aiming to change a long-standing and fundamental part of New Zealand's environmental law designed to protect fresh waterways from severe damage (ie, the loss of fish and other wildlife). 'What this means is that ongoing, severe pollution is being made legal at the stroke of a pen and that appears to directly contradict our obligations under our EU Free Trade Agreement,' says Tom Kay, Choose Clean Water spokesperson. 'A recent court decision on the Southland Land and Water Plan concluded that farming that was causing serious harm to rivers and other waterways could not simply be allowed as a permitted activity without a resource consent. This meant other councils who had similar permissions in their plans, like Waikato, are likely also allowing farming where it is causing significant degradation too.' Advertisement - scroll to continue reading 'But rather than do something to address this severe pollution, the Government is trying to cover it up by calling it 'routine on-farm activities', and trying to make the problem disappear by weakening the law and stating this is to 'protect exports'. 'There are clauses in our Free Trade Agreement with the EU about not weakening environmental protection in order to encourage trade.' Our European Union Free Trade Agreement states, 'Each Party shall strive to ensure that its relevant law and policies provide for, and encourage, high levels of environmental and labour protection, and shall strive to improve such levels, law and policies.' 'A Party shall not weaken or reduce the levels of protection afforded in its environmental or labour law in order to encourage trade or investment.' 'A Party shall not, through a sustained or recurring course of action or inaction, fail to effectively enforce its environmental or labour law in a manner affecting trade or investment.' 'A basic reading of the Free Trade Agreement would suggest that the Government's last-minute changes to the RMA, as well as its other efforts to weaken environmental law, directly contradict the clauses relating to environmental protection.' The Ministers' press release says they are making the changes because 'The Waikato region generates 20% of the nation's primary exports,' and 'If we don't act, the economic heart of New Zealand's primary sector could grind to a halt.' However, Kay says, the Government has not mentioned the potentially irreversible and intergenerational damage that could be done to waterways—such as groundwater underneath Canterbury that many rely on for drinking water—by allowing this pollution to be swept under the rug. Given the consequences of these changes on people's health and well-being, the places we live, and our international trade obligations, Ministers Bishop, McClay and Hoggard must issue a vastly more detailed explanation on the impacts of their changes to environmental protections for the state of our water and our trade agreement. 'There have been other instances where MFAT has advised we may breach these environmental obligations. How much can the Government weaken environmental law before there are international consequences?' 'If so-called 'routine on-farm activities' in New Zealand lead to the severe pollution of our freshwater, then our agricultural industry lobby groups aren't the international leaders they say they are.' 'The Government must drive and support more widespread improvement of farming activities, council enforcement, and accountability. They can not just magic away the problem by taking away environmental protection that safeguards all New Zealanders, the places we live in, and the water we all rely on.'
