Nationwide protests take place over pay equity changes
politics inequality 40 minutes ago
Nationwide protests are taking place on Friday in opposition to the government's controversial pay equity law changes - pushed through under urgency this week. Nurses Organisation's Justine Sachs spoke to Charlotte Cook.
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RNZ News
35 minutes ago
- RNZ News
US Marines arrive in LA on Trump's orders, against governor's wishes
By Brad Brooks , Phil Stewart , Idrees Ali and Dietrich Knauth , Reuters US Marines with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, who were placed in an alert status over the weekend to support US Northern Command's mission, rehearsing nonlethal tactics in the greater Los Angeles area. Photo: JUAN TORRES / US MARINE CORPS / AFP Hundreds of US Marines arrived in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday under orders from President Donald Trump, who has also activated 4000 National Guard troops to quell protests in the city despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom that the deployments are politically motivated. The city has seen five days of public protests since the Trump administration launched a series of immigration raids on Friday. State officials said Trump's response was an extreme overreaction to mostly peaceful demonstrations . About 700 Marines were in a staging area in the Seal Beach area about 50km south of Los Angeles, awaiting deployment to specific locations, a US official said. The Marines do not have arrest authority and will protect federal property and personnel, according to military officials. There were approximately 2,100 Guard troops in greater Los Angeles on Tuesday, with more on the way, the official said. California sued Trump and the Defense Department on Monday , seeking to block the deployment of federal troops, then on Tuesday sought an immediate ruling on the narrow issue of their participation in police enforcement. The judge set a hearing on that question for Thursday. California Attorney General Rob Bonta told Reuters the state was concerned about allowing federal troops to protect personnel, saying there was a risk that could violate an 1878 law that generally forbids the US military, including the National Guard, from taking part in civilian law enforcement. "The federal property part I understand - defending and protecting federal buildings," Bonta said. "But protecting personnel likely means accompanying ICE agents into communities and neighbourhoods, and protecting functions could mean protecting the ICE function of enforcing the immigration law." US Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday posted photos on X of National Guard troops accompanying ICE officers on an immigration raid. Photos from today's ICE Los Angeles immigration enforcement operation. Marines are trained for conflicts around the world - from the Middle East to Africa - and are also used for rapid deployments in case of emergencies, such as threats to US embassies. Some units also learn riot and crowd control techniques. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Photo: AFP Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass emphasised at a press conference that the unrest has been limited to a few downtown blocks and she was considering a curfew for downtown Los Angeles to stem violence in the area, including looting of stores. She drew a distinction between the majority of demonstrators protesting peacefully in support of immigrants and a smaller number of agitators she blamed for violence and looting. She said she planned to call Trump on Tuesday. "I want to tell him to stop the raids," she said. "I want to tell him that this is a city of immigrants." Trump has justified his decision to deploy troops by describing the protests as a violent occupation, a characterization that Newsom and Bass have said is grossly exaggerated. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, the president said LA would be "burning right now" if not for the deployments, and that Guard troops would remain until there is no danger. Trump left open the possibility of invoking the centuries-old Insurrection Act, which would allow the military to take part directly in civilian law enforcement. Photo: AFP/ETIENNE LAURENT The protests since Friday have been largely peaceful, but there have been scattered clashes, with some demonstrators throwing rocks at officers, blocking a highway and setting cars ablaze. Police have responded with "less lethal" munitions such as pepper balls, as well as flash-bang grenades and tear gas. The Los Angeles Police Department said it arrested more than 100 people on Monday, raising the regional total since Saturday to more than 180. On Tuesday, police holding shields and wearing helmets formed a line close to protesters hoisting banners with slogans such as "When injustice becomes the law, resistance becomes duty." Protests have concentrated outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, where many detained migrants are held. The Trump administration has vowed to intensify immigration raids in response. Protests have taken place in other cities including Chicago, where on Tuesday about 100 protesters marched through downtown, blocking traffic and carrying signs calling for ICE to be abolished. Christina Berger, 39, said it was heartbreaking to hear about children who are afraid of being separated from their families due to immigration raids, adding, "I just want to give some hope to my friends and neighbours." Fireworks explode around police officers in riot gear during a protest in response to federal immigration operations in the Little Tokyo neighborhood of downtown Los Angeles, on 9 June, 2025. Photo: FREDERIC J. BROWN / AFP Business owners in LA's Little Tokyo neighbourhood - where some of the most intense clashes between police and protesters occurred late on Monday - were washing graffiti off storefront windows and sweeping up litter on Tuesday. Every building on Little Tokyo's main streets was hit with graffiti, except for a public defender's office that stood untouched. Frank Chavez, 53, manager of an office building in the neighbourhood, was sweeping glass shards from an entrance door that had been shattered after midnight by a young masked man wielding a skateboard, according to security video that Chavez showed a Reuters reporter. "I agree with what the protesters are defending - they're standing up for the Latino community," Chavez said. "But there are a few carrying out vandalism and violence, and that must be stopped." Chavez and other business owners said they did not support the immigration raids and felt Trump's response was only fanning the flames. - Reuters
Scoop
2 hours ago
- Scoop
Saying Yes To More Housing
Minister for RMA Reform Hon Simeon Brown Minister for Auckland City-shaping changes are coming to New Zealand's largest city, ensuring that Auckland can fully harness the economic growth benefits of the new City Rail Link, RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop and Auckland Minister Simeon Brown say. The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill (the Bill) has been reported back to Parliament today by the Environment Committee, containing significant changes to enable housing growth in our largest cities. 'After many months, Auckland Council and the Government have reached agreement to free up more land for housing, particularly around City Rail Link (CRL) stations. These are some of the most significant changes to the shape of Auckland since the Auckland Unitary Plan,' Mr Bishop says. 'It doesn't make sense that we have single story houses on quarter acre sections a stone's throw away from stations that, in a year or so, will see trains every few minutes. 'The Government and the Council are investing billions in CRL and have a shared vision for stations that become hubs for public transport, mixed use development and new housing. 'Successive Governments and Councils have failed to grasp this opportunity for economic growth in New Zealand's largest city. This is how modern, growing cities all around the world operate, and now it's Auckland's turn.' Advertisement - scroll to continue reading 'Today's announcements are a result of Auckland Council and the Government working together to deliver a plan for more housing that works for Auckland. The Bill now has the effect of abolishing the Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS) in Auckland while requiring more housing density around key public transport corridors - a common sense solution for Auckland,' Auckland Minister Simeon Brown says. 'Auckland must grow to fully meet its potential as a world-leading city. The one sized-fits-all approach of the MDRS was not appropriate for Auckland. Today's announcement will ensure our city grows where it makes the most sense and maximise on the significant investment made in the City Rail Link.' 'I want to thank Auckland Council, particularly Mayor Brown and Councillor Richard Hills, for their pragmatic approach to solving these complex challenges over many months,' Mr Bishop says. 'Mayor Brown has previously described this situation as 'RMA gymnastics' and he is right, but I am confident that these arrangements align with our shared vison of density and development in places that work for Aucklanders.' Removing ability to opt-out of the MDRS 'The Bill as introduced provided councils with the flexibility to opt out of the MDRS, if they could show they had provided for 30 years of housing growth in their district and unitary plans,' Mr Bishop says. 'Councils have been going through plan changes for years in order to incorporate the MDRS. Most councils have already substantially completed their plan changes through this process, with just three (Auckland, Christchurch and Waimakariri) yet to finish. 'The practical reality is that if councils did vote to 'opt out' of the MDRS, they would have to pass a new plan change to do so, and due to the length of time this typically takes under the RMA, by the time this was complete, the Government's new planning system is expected to be in place. 'Fundamentally, it would have achieved nothing, but cost ratepayers a lot. 'The Government has therefore taken the pragmatic view that it would be sensible to remove the ability for councils to opt out of the MDRS and to work on bespoke legislative solutions for Auckland and Christchurch instead.' New plan change for Auckland 'Auckland's intensification plan change, PC78, has been underway since 2022. Progress has been slow for many reasons, including the Auckland floods. The intensification plan change process does not allow Auckland to 'downzone' certain areas due to natural hazard risk – only to 'upzone' them – and the Council wrote to the government asking them to fix this problem,' Mr Bishop says. 'The Government has therefore agreed to change the Bill to allow Auckland to withdraw PC78. However, the government is determined to unlock housing capacity in Auckland and fix our housing crisis and has taken steps to ensure this is achieved. 'Earlier in the year I directed Auckland Council to bring forward decisions on the parts of PC78 that relate to the city centre, requiring final decisions to be made by the end of May. Auckland Council met this requirement, finalising this part of PC78 on 22 May 2025. 'These decisions made by the council are a step forward in increasing development capacity in Auckland's CBD, but there is more work to be done. 'The Bill as reported back from the committee now allows Auckland Council to remove the remaining parts of PC78, but requires them to process a new plan change urgently. This plan change must be notified by 10 October this year, and must enable housing capacity equal to or greater than that enabled by PC78. 'As I've indicated, the Government is keen to see greater density around public transport, particularly City Rail Link stations. The Bill therefore now also requires Auckland to allow for greater density around the key CRL stations of Maungawhau (Mount Eden), Kingsland, and Morningside. 'Auckland Council must enable within a walkable distance from these stations heights and densities reflective of the higher demand for housing and business in these areas. This requirement goes further than the existing requirements under the NPS-UD, and I expect heights and densities that ensure we make the most of the opportunities offered by this transformational transport project. 'The government is also considering whether further amendments to the Bill to fully maximise development opportunities around other CRL stations as necessary, and I will have more to say in due course.' 30 years of growth for Christchurch 'Christchurch City Council also requires a bespoke solution, as they have made a number of decisions on their plan change to implement the MDRS and NPS-UD, known as PC14, but have yet to complete it,' Mr Bishop says. 'Last week I released my decisions on the recommendations from the Council on parts of PC14. These decisions will enable a greater level of development in and around Christchurch City's urban centres. 'Christchurch City Council is currently required to finalise the MDRS components of PC14 by December 2025. The Bill will allow Christchurch to withdraw the MDRS parts of PC14 provided they allow for 30 years of housing growth at the same time. Assessment of that target will be made by me based on advice from officials.' 'In addition to these changes, the Environment Select Committee has recommended a suite of changes to improve the workability of the Bill and help unlock growth in infrastructure and energy, farming and the primary sector,' Mr Bishop says. The Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill will have its second reading in the coming weeks and is expected to pass into law in mid-2025.' Waimakariri District Council were much further progressed in their plan change than Auckland and Christchurch, and are expected to make decisions on their plan change on 30 June, before the Bill's expected third reading.
NZ Herald
2 hours ago
- NZ Herald
New laws to stop carbon forest on productive farms ‘long overdue': Fed Farmers
Federated Farmers' 'Save our Sheep' campaign has taken a major step forward this week with the Government introducing legislation to stop carbon forestry on productive farmland. 'This legislation is a really positive step forward, but from a farmer's perspective, it's long overdue,' Federated Farmers meat and wool chair Toby Williams
