Midday Report Essentials for Friday 15th August 2025
In today's episode, the Supreme Court has found riverbeds can be included in Maori customary marine title - if other legal tests are meet; Neighbours have detailed the moments following the police shooting a couple in Christchurch on Wednesday night; KiwiRail and the government have confirmed how much it has cost to breaking the contract with South Korean shipbuilders of the scrapped iRex Ferries; The knives were out in Auckland on Thursday night as the country's finest butchers showed off their skills at the National Butchery Awards.
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RNZ News
25 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Ban on protesting outside homes rebalances freedom of expression and privacy rights
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith has announced protesting outside someone's home will become an offence. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii The government's ban on protesting outside someone's home will rebalance the right to freedom of expression and the right to privacy, a law professor says. But another academic has questioned whether a new law is necessary, and says police may struggle to enforce it. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announced on Friday protesting outside someone's home would become an offence, punishable with a fine or jail time. While it would apply to all residences, Goldsmith said there had been increased reports of demonstrations targeting the homes of public figures like MPs, judges and other officials. Otago University law professor Andrew Geddis said current laws around protests only related to public settings. "Protests that take place outside someone's home really do intrude into a sort of domestic sphere where people usually feel they should be able to exist unperturbed and unthreatened," he said. "So this particular change in the law will help to restrike that balance." Otago University law professor Andrew Geddis. Photo: RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly Geddis said the change would plug a legal gap highlighted by a Supreme Court ruling nearly two decades ago. The 2007 case, Brooker v Police, involved a man who was convicted of disorderly behaviour for standing outside a police officer's house playing the guitar and singing protest songs against her, he said. But the Supreme Court found his behaviour was not disorderly. "The Supreme Court said that disorderly behaviour only applies to the public consequences of your behaviour, how that affects the public place. "And just because it's intruding into someone's private home, that's not a consideration as to whether the protest is covered by disorderly behaviour," he said. It meant the balance between people's rights within their home and people's rights to protest in public was "out of whack", Geddis said. One of the judges noted the court's finding could lead to more protests outside people's homes, and Parliament would need to consider that at some point, he said. "It turns out he was right." Victoria University law professor Steven Price said police may find it hard to enforce the new law. Goldsmith said it would be tightly targeted and prohibit "unreasonable disruptions", but Price said the independent police watchdog's review of policing protests found officers struggled to make a call on that. "What the IPCA had to say about that ... is that police have trouble on the ground having to make fine distinctions about what's an unreasonable disruption and what's not, and that seems a fair point to make," he said. "But on the face of [Goldsmith's] press release, it doesn't really solve the problem." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Who pays when a supermarket price tag is wrong?
A Whanganui SuperValue displayed some dodgy maths recently, with the price per 100g not adding up to the main price shown. Photo: Supplied When a Whanganui SuperValue displayed some dodgy maths recently, shopper David Bradbury argued he should have been able to choose to pay the lower of the prices on offer. He spotted bacon that was advertised as selling for a different price per 100g than the main display price. Shoulder bacon was 200g for $4.69 but then 94c per 100g, and middle bacon was 200g for $5.79 but $1.16 per 100g. "I pointed out to the closest person in a shop uniform the poor arithmetic ... He said the big number was the right one. I said I should be able to choose. He said no." A SuperValue spokesperson said the unit price was incorrect . "On our pricing tickets customers will find the price of the item and a unit price which enables them to make an informed decision of value based on the unit of measure. "In this instance, the unit price was incorrect on the 200gm Grandpas Shoulder Bacon and Middle Bacon products. The price was however the correct price the customer would have paid at the apologise for the error and any confusion caused. "We know how important it is that all of our tickets are accurate and we have now corrected the pricing tickets to reflect the correct unit price." Vanessa Horne, Commerce Commission general manager, competition, fair trading and credit said she encouraged him to report the concern so the commission could assess whether the shop was complying with the laws it enforced. "The trader could be prosecuted where there is serious non-compliance with the Unit Pricing Regulations. "The Unit Pricing Regulations are there to help consumers easily compare products based on the price-per-unit and make informed choices about which product offers them the best value." She said the Commerce Commission had ongoing investigations into supermarket operators . "We have recently filed criminal charges against Woolworths NZ, Pak'nSave Silverdale, and Pak'nSave Mill Street for what the Commission alleges was inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act. "Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials, and we're not satisfied with the continuing issues we're seeing across the industry. "The major supermarkets are large, well-resourced businesses that should invest the time and effort to get pricing and promotions right." Consumer NZ spokesperson Sahar Lone said a supermarket that displayed incorrect unit pricing could be breaching the Fair Trading Act. "If you notice an incorrect unit price, point this out to a supervisor in store. The store has the right to correct its pricing mistakes. If it doesn't sort the issue, or it's widespread, you can lodge a complaint with the Commerce Commission." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- RNZ News
'Your family could be next', warns coward punch victim's brother
Coward punch marchers outside the High Court at New Plymouth. Photo: Robin Martin / RNZ A Taranaki father has shared his sense of loss and anger following the death of his son in a one-punch assault. About 200 people gathered at the Tukapa Rugby Club in New Plymouth on Friday to remember Daniel Nganeko and join a march calling for tougher penalties for coward-punch-style offences. Daniel Nganeko died on 29 July after being struck by Daytona Thompson, 22, in what police described as an unprovoked attack at the Tukapa senior prizegiving three days earlier. Te Uraura Nganeko was still coming to terms with his son's death. "It's a tragedy, just a waste of a beautiful life and a beautiful soul. It's just this huge sense of loss and anger. It should never have happened, and that's why we are here on Friday." He said the 37-year-old - a former visual journalist who planned to retrain as a teacher - deserved better. "Daniel was harmless. In the context of this kaupapa Daniel was harmless, he wouldn't hurt a fly. He accepted people as they are and everyone loved him." The Nganeko family organised the march from the Tukapa clubrooms to the High Court, where Thompson was due to plead to a manslaughter charge. Their message was clear. "We are marching because coward punches kill and our laws don't treat them seriously enough. We are here for justice for Daniel and other victims and to change the justice system to stop this happening again. One punch took Daniel's life and we want laws that reflect the reality." Sarah Coward was one of many at the clubrooms wearing a white T-shirt bearing Daniel's image and the slogan "March for Daniel, March for Change". She was feeling his loss keenly. "He was loving, passionate, happy. I mean look at all these people here, you know, like he was great. He was just the best. Talked to everyone, always had time for people and wouldn't hurt anybody." A mate of Daniel's twin brother Cameron - Steve Dent - reinforced the message for tougher penalties. "[The offender] was just out to get another notch on the belt. I think that's the culture we need to change. We need tougher sentencing so these guys know that if they engage in that sort of behaviour that they will go away for life." Cameron Nganeko, meanwhile, rallied the marchers from a lectern before they headed to the courthouse. "How long must we wait for the government to act? If we remain silent, if we do nothing your family could be next. Let's come together as one, stand side-by-side and stand up, speak out and defend those who no longer can [defend themselves]. Enough is enough, it's time for change and it starts now." Thompson pleaded guilty to the manslaughter charge and will be sentenced in October. Te Uraura Nganeko predicted the plea - but it was little relief. "I really haven't got a message for him. He killed my son." He said Thompson had a good lawyer. "There is a system in play here, and that's one of the issues I have with the discounts offenders get for pleading guilty. I don't believe they should get any discounts for violent offences." The government aimed to introduce legislation recognising one-punch attacks as a specific offence - with lengthy jail terms - before the end of the year, and have it passed into law before the next general election. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
