
Immigration NZ alerted to child smuggling, families adopting more than 10 kids
RNZ
Some New Zealanders have adopted more than 10 children from overseas and one woman with previous convictions smuggled children into the country, Government briefings have revealed.
Internal intelligence reports and warnings to Labour and National immigration ministers show concerns about the

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Scoop
an hour ago
- Scoop
Federated Farmers Launches KiwiSaver Petition
Press Release – Federated Farmers Federated Farmers has launched this petition: to hold the Government accountable and send a clear message that its time to follow through on their promise. Federated Farmers has launched a nationwide petition calling on the Government to urgently change the KiwiSaver rules to help young farmers get their foot on the ladder. 'Accessing your KiwiSaver to buy your first farm, flock, herd or home has been an incredibly hot topic for farmers,' Federated Farmers dairy chair Richard McIntyre says. 'On the campaign trail of the 2023 election, Todd McClay stood up in front of young farmers in Morrinsville and made a promise that he would make it happen. 'I'm sure he had the best of intentions, but unfortunately farmers have been bitterly disappointed by the lack of action from the Government on the issue to date. 'That's why Federated Farmers has launched this petition: to hold the Government accountable and send a clear message that it's time to follow through on their promise.' The petition's launch has been timed to coincide with the National Fieldays, where thousands of farmers, industry leaders and politicians will gather at Mystery Creek. 'Politicians are always out in force at Fieldays, rubbing shoulders with farmers, and we really wanted to make sure KiwiSaver issues were a topic of conversation,' McIntyre says. 'Allowing young farmers to access their KiwiSaver to buy their first herd, home, farm or flock is the number one thing the Government could do to help our next generation of farmers. 'It would shave years of hard work and saving off their progression through the industry, and really turbocharge their farming careers. 'Why is the Government okay with that money being managed by stockbrokers and invested in Fortune 500 companies, but not by a farmer buying a herd to go sharemilking?' McIntyre says he can't see any reason the Government wouldn't throw their full support behind making this policy change happen. 'A lot of young urban people enter KiwiSaver because it's a good way to build a deposit for their first house. They're saving for a home early on – not for their retirement. 'We're asking for young farmers to have the same opportunity – a one-off withdrawal early in their careers to help them get ahead by purchasing their first home, farm, herd, or flock.' New Zealanders are encouraged to sign the petition online at or at Federated Farmers' Fieldays site D70.


Otago Daily Times
2 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Govt looking into how Aussie warship knocked out internet
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon remains unaware of how an Australian warship was allowed to accidentally knock out mobile internet access across Taranaki and Marlborough last week. Navigation radar interference from HMAS Canberra, the Royal Australian Navy's largest warship, disrupted 5 GHz wireless access points on Wednesday as it sailed through the Cook Strait. The interference triggered in-built switches in the devices that caused them to go offline, ABC News reported - a safety precaution to prevent wireless signals interfering with radar systems in New Zealand's airspace. Luxon told RNZ this morning he was yet to have an explanation how the situation was allowed to happen, but he was "sure" Defence Minister Judith Collins would find out. He said it was not a "deliberate" act from the Australians. "Look, we are very pleased that they're here. They are our only ally. We work very closely with the Australians, as you know, I'm not sure what's happened here. Again, that'll be something the defence minister will look into." Asked if it had exposed a vulnerability in our communications network, Luxon said it was "the nature" of it. "There's a whole bunch of technology… in the defence space and the cyberspace and how wars are being fought, and will be fought in the future will be a big component of it… "Judith Collins will be checking into that and understanding exactly what has happened there, but I'm very proud of that relationship. I'm very proud that they're here. It's great that they've come." The blackout came the same week "human error" knocked out fibre-based internet to much of the lower North Island. Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith told RNZ last week he would be discussing the Australian warship situation with officials. Relationships with China, US Also last week, two former prime ministers and an ex-governor of the Reserve Bank put their names to a letter questioning the government's foreign policy - in particular "positioning New Zealand alongside the United States as an adversary of China". It was signed, among others, by Helen Clark, Sir Geoffrey Palmer and Dr Don Brash, questioning whether New Zealand was risking its economic and trade relationship with China by aligning itself closer with the US. "Like 192 other countries, we've got an independent foreign policy. There'll be lots of different views on foreign policy, I get that," Luxon told RNZ. "But, you know, frankly, my job as prime minister is to advance our national interests - that is both… around our security and our economic interests. And I think you've also got to acknowledge that the strategic environment from 25 or 35 years ago is very different from what we have today, and it will continue to evolve." He said he disagreed with the view that working more closely with the US on defence, under the adversarial Trump administration, would sour New Zealand's relationship with China. I think, you know, we have important relationships with both the US and China. We will make our own assessment based on our own needs, as to, you know, how we navigate those relationships. "But in both cases, you know, we have, you know, deep engagement and cooperation. We also have differences with the US - we've raised concerns around tariffs. With the Chinese, we've raised concerns around cyber attacks on our parliamentary system."


NZ Herald
3 hours ago
- NZ Herald
Scroll downtime: Teens face two-hour cap on social media apps
A two-hour cap on social media apps for teenagers is being considered by the British Government. Peter Kyle, the Technology Secretary, suggested he was considering new limits on scroll time for young people in an attempt to tackle 'addictive' behaviour. It comes as ministers examine a package of potential