Kāinga Ora could lose millions on property
Iran strikes back at the US by firing missiles at its air base in Qatar. Herald NOW checks in with a Kiwi journalist live from Doha.
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1News
a day ago
- 1News
Kiwi mum and son, 6, freed from US immigration detention
A young Kiwi mum and her six-year-old son, who were detained at the US-Canada border and held for weeks, have been released from ICE custody. A friend of Sarah Shaw told 1News she had landed in Washington state and was now home safely. They said she intended to speak about her experiences at a later date. Shaw and her son, Isaac, who flew home from a Texas facility, were detained three weeks ago after dropping her other children off in Vancouver to catch a flight. On July 24, the mother had taken her two older children to the Canadian city so they could catch a direct flight back to New Zealand to visit family. It was previously reported that she then planned to travel back to her home in Washington with her younger son. Both were then stopped at the border by immigration agents, who said there was a problem with her documents. The pair were immediately detained. ADVERTISEMENT Shaw's lawyer, Minda Thorward, told local media at the time that she had a temporary immigration document that allowed her to travel and re-enter the US, but there had been an "administrative error" with it. Sarah Shaw and her six-year-old son have been detained by US immigration officials after she tried to return to America from a trip to Canada. (Source: 1News) Shaw and her son were then transferred to a facility in South Texas – one of only two that can house families together. She and her son shared a room with four other families, and were among the only detainees who spoke English. Her detainment came as immigration officials in the US ramped up their efforts under President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. This has led to people being detained who typically were not detained under previous administrations. 'Terrifying' experience with US immigration authorities A friend previously told 1News Shaw was "absolutely terrified" when she and her son were bundled into a giant white van with no markings on it at the Canadian border. "I remember her on the phone being absolutely panicked. She originally thought she was being kidnapped, she didn't even realise she was being detained originally." ADVERTISEMENT The conditions she was being held in were "very similar to a prison," they said. "She is in a locked room with five bunk beds, she's allowed to walk around the facility from 8am to 8pm, but outside of that, she is locked in a cell with other families." A graduate student working towards her master's degree and working for the state in corrections, Shaw had lived in the US for the past three years. Shaw was working at a juvenile care facility run by Washington state.
Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Otago Daily Times
New role ‘exciting, challenging'
Waitaki Multicultural chair Robert Roodnat. PHOTO: JULES CHIN Q How are you enjoying your new role as chairman? What do you enjoy most about it? It's an exciting and challenging role to handle both the governance and the day-to-day operations of Waitaki Multicultural. It's exciting because there is always something happening. Either we set those events up or others across the district have something special going on, in which we collaborate. We use our Facebook mostly to notify our community of these events. Challenging, as governance in New Zealand is a bit different than what I'm used to from the Netherlands. I have my own style to run our committee meetings, but that's what makes it fun. Our committee includes a range of different cultural backgrounds: Uruguayan, Argentinian, Italian, Tongan, Filipino, Indonesian, Kiwi and Dutch. I encourage anyone who is interested to join us, to reach out to me. You do not have to be a migrant to join our committee. Q Can you please tell us what has been happening since Maria Buldain stepped down as chairwoman and what updates you can provide on what the organisation has been up to? Have there been any changes or new staffing? There is always heaps going on. We are creating an exciting new strategic plan to guide us in the next five years. We're working hard to make sure we are compliant with the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 — this includes a complete refresh of our constitution. We are in the process of recruiting a third staff member to help us with applying for grants and organising events. The vacancy will go live soon. Q What events (like Festive Feast or Multicultural Day) are coming up that the public might like to know about? We celebrate Multicultural Day on the last Friday of August, this year on August 29. We encourage people to wear their traditional apparel and make their cultural food, wherever they may be — at workplaces, at home, it doesn't matter. Be proud of your culture. This includes Kiwi culture too! Festive Feast is coming November 22, a grand celebration of our diverse culture in the district. We are in the early stages of planning for this beloved event. You can find our newsletter on the Facebook group or subscribe via our website, to keep up to date about all our other activities. Q You are a not-for-profit organisation. What is the staffing/volunteer structure? Can you explain how Multicultural Waitaki is set up and how it works with Waitaki District Council and other organisations in the community? We are fully dependent on our funders, such as Ministry of Social Development, ETu Whanau, Catalytic Foundation and New Zealand Lotteries Commission. Other key local funders are Network Waitaki and Waitaki District Council (WDC). We do not fundraise but donations are always welcome. Our structure is independent. Some people sometimes assume we are part of WDC, which we are not. Our committee provides the oversight and governance of Waitaki Multicultural. We work with volunteers in the community, which we appreciate so much. They provide activities, such as English Conversation Club, Active Movement Programme, Coffee Group, Friday Night Drinks and Migrant Meet and Share. These are co-ordinated by our lovely community connector Justyna. She is the face of our organisation. Rico keeps the office running by providing promotional material and administering our finances. We collaborate with many organisations across the district on events and wellbeing. I can't name them all but I'll provide a small selection: Stronger Waitaki, Oamaru Pacific Island Community, Filipino Association, Oamaru Muslim Association, Welcoming Communities, YMCA, English Language Partners, SHAMA — Supporting Ethnic Women, Plunket and a range of social service providers. Q You were vice-chairman before becoming chairman. Can you please tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to be involved with Waitaki Multicultural? My wife and I moved to New Zealand back in January 2020, just before Covid happened. I was working as a team leader at Rabobank in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and my wife worked as a GP. Before we made the move to live on the other side of the world, we travelled across New Zealand-Aotearoa in 2018. In an instant we fell in love with the beauty, the nature and the friendly Kiwis. Making the decision to move was quite easy for us; the family took it a bit harder. When we were still in the Netherlands, I found the Waitaki Multicultural website and Facebook group. So within the first two weeks we were in Oamaru, we both attended several Waitaki Multicultural events. Making these connections and friends helped us settle in the region, especially during those rough times. It was just a matter of months after our arrival when I was asked to join the committee, which I did with great enthusiasm. We live on a lifestyle block and currently have 11 alpacas, five chickens and two cats.
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- NZ Herald
Rate-cut reality check - too little, too late: Nick Stewart
Higher starting debt, unfavourable interest rates, adverse growth trends and long-term pressures from aging and climate change are converging into a perfect storm. Despite claims of $44 billion in savings, the Government has reallocated spending rather than shrinking it. It's hard for hope not to fade when our government appears to lack the mettle to take the bull by the horns. The 'price of butter' facade may have fooled some, but not many. Butter is a product that hasn't changed in eons – full cream milk, add salt and churn. No smoke and mirrors or PR spin, just butter. Yet politicians obsess over its retail pricing while avoiding hard decisions on fiscal consolidation that might actually address underlying inflation pressures. The great capital migration Capital flows as freely as people in an interconnected world. Just as 230,000 Kiwis have voted with their feet over two years seeking better opportunities offshore, smart money increasingly looks beyond our borders for superior returns. The recent emigration shows a damning verdict on New Zealand's economic trajectory. These are productive citizens, who see limited prospects in a country determined to tax productivity whilst subsidising speculation. Human capital flight and financial capital mobility share parallels –both respond to incentives and seek the best risk-adjusted returns. Housing market dysfunction remains Our housing market remains in purgatory, with prices stubbornly elevated while transaction volumes are sluggish. Latest data shows 'days to sell' extending and prices slipping nationally for six of the past seven months. Wednesday's modest rate cut is unlikely to break this deadlock. Young Kiwis are emigrating, recognising their homeownership prospects have been systematically destroyed by policies prioritising incumbent wealth over economic dynamism. The social contract promising hard work would lead to homeownership has been broken: 72% of Kiwis without a home believe buying a property is beyond their reach. Yet, many Kiwis remain dangerously over-exposed to residential real estate. Rethinking investment The traditional Kiwi approach of leveraging into property and hoping for the best is dangerous where house prices may stagnate while debt service costs remain higher. Global equity markets continue to climb, with the S&P 500 delivering 5-year annualised returns of 15.71%. Meanwhile, New Zealand's NZX50 has delivered a dismal 1.8% annualised return over the same period. The performance gap is devastating. A $100,000 investment in the S&P 500 over five years would have grown to $208,000, versus approximately $109,000 in the NZX50. This $99,000 difference is a documented reality for investors who remained domestically focused while global opportunities compounded wealth at dramatically higher rates. Complexity extends beyond simple asset allocation. Tax implications vary dramatically between domestic and international investments. Currency hedging decisions can make or break returns. Liquidity needs must account for potential emigration scenarios – a consideration rational investors now embrace. Economic crossroads ahead New Zealand stands at an economic crossroads between fiscal irresponsibility leading to Japanese-style stagnation, or making hard decisions to restore economic dynamism. Next Wednesday's timid rate cut suggests we're choosing the former. For investors, the message is clear: adapt or suffer consequences. Capital, like talent, flows to where it's best treated. The 230,000 Kiwis who've recognised this reality are canaries in the coal mine. Smart investors should ensure their wealth enjoys the same mobility their fellow citizens have embraced. The coming rate cut won't be cause for celebration – it will be a symptom of deeper malaise and policy impotence facing structural decline. - Nick Stewart's iwi affiliations are Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Huirapa, Ngāti Māmoe, Ngāti Waitaha).
