Celebrating 25 Years of Scoop
Latest Politics Headlines
New Law To Ban Gang Patches A Dangerous Move For New Zealand
Friday, 20 September 2024, 7:04 pm | Free Speech Union
Censorship can be a natural impulse to things we don’t like, but it’s better to know when hateful or offensive ideas exist. Otherwise, they’re buried underground to fester and can crop up unexpectedly. We see this legislation no differently. More >>
Treaty Principles Bill Politically Clumsy And Unproductive
Friday, 20 September 2024, 9:19 am | Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu
The Treaty Principles Bill is unproductive for New Zealand, says Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa. “David Seymour and ACT are misconstruing history. You can’t have a reasonable debate with a person or party who distorts the truth,” ... More >>
Wellington City Council Reversing Decision On Airport Sale
Thursday, 19 September 2024, 2:03 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Instead of making a fiscally prudent decision that serves as a pathway for the future, the Council is now left thinking about squandering the opportunity. Between future ramifications and current short term costs, this would only further pinch the pockets ... More >>
New Zealand Vote At UNGA Needs Follow-Through With Sanctions
Thursday, 19 September 2024, 1:58 pm | Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
However, this vote will only have practical meaning if New Zealand follows through on the resolution’s requirement that we ban imports from companies operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. More >>
New Zealand Must Sanction Israel Over Its Inflammatory Attempts To Widen The War In The Middle East
Thursday, 19 September 2024, 6:53 am | Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
“With this latest attack our government must condemn Israel” says PSNA National Chair John Minto. “Israel is an out-of-control rogue state which is an imminent danger to peace and security the world over” More >>
Surrogacy Commodifies Women, Says Women’s Rights Party
Wednesday, 18 September 2024, 6:53 pm | Women's Rights Party
While commercial surrogacy is technically illegal in New Zealand, the involvement of fertility services in surrogacy through assisted reproductive technology is a commercial activity paid for by intending parents, with potential harm for birth ... More >>
Government’s Contractors Proposal “Designed To Lock In Exploitation”
Tuesday, 17 September 2024, 12:45 pm | E tu
“Our message to the Government is simple: scrap this proposal, and stop the attacks on workers and our communities.” More >>
Submissions Open For The Gambling (Definition Of Remote Interactive Gambling) Amendment Bill
Tuesday, 17 September 2024, 11:07 am | Governance and Administration Committee
The Gambling (Definition of Remote Interactive Gambling) Amendment Bill, as introduced, would amend the Gambling Act 2003 to permanently exempt class 3 gambling in the form of a lottery from the prohibition on remote interactive gambling, allowing it to ... More >>
Government Shows Little Understanding Of Climate Change
Monday, 16 September 2024, 12:49 pm | The Rail Advocacy Collective
TRAC National Coordinator Niall Robertson says that this line could be built a lot quicker and connect with the rebuilt NAL taking thousands of road damaging trucks off SH1, improving road safety, reducing carbon emissions and polluting particulate. More >>
Order In Council Rarely Appropriate For Firearms Law
Monday, 16 September 2024, 2:28 am | COLFO
COLFO strongly encourages Governments to use the full legislative process, including public consultation with vulnerable communities, for significant changes, to create enduring firearms laws that increase public safety. More >>
Closure Of Winstone Pulp International Shows Need For Urgent Change In Electricity Market
Monday, 16 September 2024, 2:20 am | Octopus Energy Group
Octopus Energy's COO warns that New Zealand's prolonged high electricity prices necessitate urgent regulatory changes for increased market competition and improved investment. More >>
NZCTU Slams Govt For Failing Mill Workers
Monday, 16 September 2024, 2:20 am | NZCTU
NZCTU criticises the Government for neglecting to save 300 jobs in Ruapehu after Winstone Pulp International's mill closures, highlighting regional economic impacts and the need for proactive support. More >>
Global Indigenous Leaders Condemn New Zealand Government Treatment Of Māori
Monday, 16 September 2024, 2:20 am | National Iwi Chairs Forum
Global Indigenous leaders and environmentalists condemn New Zealand's Treaty Principles Bill as a significant affront to Māori rights and democratic processes, urging government respect for Te Tiriti o Waitangi. More >>
Wadestown Residents Reject Wadestown Connections Proposal
Monday, 16 September 2024, 2:19 am | Wadestown Voices
Wadestown residents firmly oppose Wellington City Council's proposed cycle lanes and parking management changes, demanding a comprehensive re-evaluation that prioritises community input. More >>
BSA Report Bangs Drum For Censorship By Claiming Freedom Of Expression Causes ‘harm’, From Self-selecting Sample
Monday, 16 September 2024, 2:16 am | Free Speech Union
The BSA's report on harmful speech raises concerns about subjectivity and potential censorship of controversial views, according to Free Speech Union’s Chief Executive Jonathan Ayling. More >>
400 Christian Leaders Call On MPs To Vote Down The Treaty Principles Bill
Monday, 16 September 2024, 2:01 am | Common Grace Aotearoa
Over 440 Christian leaders oppose the coalition's Treaty Principles Bill, asserting it undermines Te Tiriti o Waitangi's recognition of Māori rights and relationships with the Crown. More >>
IRD Betrays Taxpayers By Leaking Personal Information
Monday, 16 September 2024, 2:01 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
Concerns arise over IRD allegedly sharing sensitive taxpayer data with tech giants, prompting calls for accountability and privacy protection from the New Zealand Taxpayers' Union. More >>
NZTA Commitment To Accessibility Questioned Following Block Of E-scooter Remote Piloting
Monday, 16 September 2024, 1:59 am | Ario
Disability advocacy groups criticise NZTA’s decision to block Ario’s remote e-scooter reparking technology, arguing it undermines accessibility and safety in urban environments. More >>
Metlink Spends More Than $1.3 Million On Seven Toilets
Monday, 16 September 2024, 1:54 am | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
At an average cost of over $185,000 per toilet, it makes you wonder – are the seats made of gold? More >>
MUNZ Back Struggle Of Australian Unions Against Anti-Union, Anti-worker Laws
Monday, 16 September 2024, 1:54 am | Maritime Union of New Zealand
The Maritime Union of New Zealand is federated with the Maritime Union of Australia, and the MUA and the wider CFMEU have our full support in their struggle. More >>
Aotearoa's Moral Crossroads - The True Cost Of Live Animal Exports
Monday, 16 September 2024, 1:47 am | Animal Justice Party
Defending Aotearoa's Moral Victory - The Fight to Preserve Our Live Export Ban More >>
Two Prominent Free Speech Advocates To Tour New Zealand With Free Speech Union Before End Of The Year
Monday, 16 September 2024, 1:46 am | Free Speech Union
We’re thrilled to announce that Distinguished Prof. Nigel Biggar (Oxford University) and Dr. Peter Boghossian (Portland State University) will both tour New Zealand with the Free Speech Union before the end of the year, says Nathan Seiuli, the Free Speech ... More >>
Confirmed Candidates For 2024 TECT Trustee Election
Monday, 16 September 2024, 1:45 am | TECT
Nominations for the 2024 trustee election for the TECT Community Trust closed at 12 noon, Wednesday 4 September. The following 9 nominations were received for the 3 vacancies on the Trust: More >>
Footage Released By Greenpeace Reveals Damage In The Deep Ocean From Industrial Fishing
Monday, 16 September 2024, 1:44 am | Greenpeace
The compelling evidence emphasises how this precious ecosystem has been decimated by years of bottom trawling, which involves dragging heavy weighted fishing gear across the sea floor, destroying fragile communities that take thousands of years ... More >>
Save The Children Opposes Proposed Changes To Schools’ Legislated Objectives
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:23 pm | Save the Children New Zealand
Save the Children is extremely concerned the Government’s proposal to narrow the focus of schools’ legislated education objectives to prioritise achievement and remove references to children’s rights will have a detrimental impact on children ... More >>
Wellington City Council Taking Ratepayers For A Ride With $563k Bike Rack
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:23 pm | New Zealand Taxpayers' Union
“These latest figures on the costs of Wellington City Council’s latest bike rack have truly humbled the Taxpayer’s Union. Imagine a Council so incompetent it can make its previous $84k bike rack blowout look almost reasonable in comparison. More >>
South Taranaki Proves Luxon Right
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:22 pm | Taxpayers' Union
The New Zealand Taxpayers Union can reveal through the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act that South Taranaki District Council’s new cultural centre (Te Ramanui O Ruaputahanga) has blown out from a starting point of $8 million ... More >>
Disturbing Data In Latest “Assisted Dying” Report
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:20 pm | Family First New Zealand
The latest review of assisted suicide / euthanasia was quietly released last month by the Ministry of Health – but it should sound significant and loud warning bells about the law, especially at a time when proponents want it to be liberalised even ... More >>
Government Cuts To Pay Parity Don’t Help Children
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:17 pm | NZCTU
All teachers deserve to be paid fairly. We have a shortage of qualified early childhood staff in Aotearoa and are already losing teachers overseas. Reducing pay and conditions for relief teachers won’t make that problem any better. More >>
Disabled People Invisible In Too Many Government Announcements
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:05 pm | NZDSN
Too many government announcements affecting disabled people don’t even mention disabled people, leaving the community googling for answers, and feeling forgotten or invisible. More >>
Common Sense (finally) Prevails With Pause On Freshwater Farm Plan Rollout
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:05 pm | Federated Farmers
Federated Farmers says pressing pause on the rollout of freshwater farm plans until improvements can be made is a practical and pragmatic step from the Government. More >>
Canterbury Bridge Blowing Out $13.5 Million Budget With Nothing To Show For It
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:02 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Despite Kaikōura District Council’s project to rebuild the Waiau Toa/Clarence River Glen Alton bridge after the Kaikōura earthquake being eight years deep, the Council have still not even managed to gain the appropriate resource consents or ... More >>
Misogyny Behind Attacks On Women's Rights Campaigners And Women Politicians, The Women's Rights Party Says
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:01 pm | Women's Rights Party
A man who threw what turned out to be tomato juice at UK women’s rights advocate Kellie-Jay Keen and Tania Sturt, an organiser of the “Let Women Speak” event in Auckland’s Albert Park on 25 March last year, has been convicted of assault ... More >>
Panel Discussion Featuring Global Experts Will Raise Awareness About Apartheid Against Women In Iran & Afghanistan
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 11:00 pm | Iranian Solidarity Group New Zealand
The panellists will speak about the importance of formal recognition of gender apartheid, give background as to the situation of women and girls in Iran and Afghanistan and outline a way forward towards greater equality and basic rights for all. More >>
Ferry Fiasco Hangs Over PM’s South Korea Trip
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 10:59 pm | Maritime Union of New Zealand
Prime Minister Luxon needs to use his much-vaunted international business experience to sit down with the South Koreans and find a way through this expensive fiasco as soon as possible. More >>
Catholic Church Abuse Survivors Respond To Death Of Bishop Denis Browne
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 10:54 pm | SNAP
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) in Oceania calls on the current bishops of Hamilton, Auckland, and Rarotonga, and all church leaders, to not follow in Bishop Browne’s negligent ways, and instead, support the abused in their dioceses ... More >>
Disappointment By Court’s Decision For No Maximum Water Intake For Griffin Creek
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 10:51 pm | Federated Mountain Clubs
The Court of Appeal recently ruled that the Griffin Creek hydro scheme concession, issued by DOC in 2011, contains no maximum water take. It is now possible that a bigger scheme could be built on Griffin Creek than had originally been proposed. More >>
Govt Cuts Mean Salvation Army Frontline Workers Face Axe
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 10:51 pm | PSA
The change proposal covers workers in Auckland (Glenfield, Manukau, Royal Oak and Waitakere), Tauranga, Hamilton, Hutt City and Palmerston North. More >>
Rail Cuts Set New Zealand Up For Failure
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 10:49 pm | Rail And Maritime Transport Union
The government’s war on rail is setting New Zealand up for failure, says the Rail and Maritime Transport Union. More >>
IVL Increase Good For MBIE, Bad For The Economy
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 10:48 pm | NZ Airports Association
The Government looks to have cemented New Zealand as one of the most expensive countries in the world for a holiday today by increasing the International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) to $100. More >>
GPs Should Be Lining Up Around The Block, Too
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 10:48 pm | General Practitioners Aotearoa
“We shouldn’t see queues like that anywhere, let alone in a supposedly developed country like New Zealand,” says Dr Buzz Burrell, interim chair of General Practitioners Aotearoa (GPA). More >>
$100 IVL Will Dent New Zealand’s Global Competitiveness
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 10:47 pm | Tourism Industry Aotearoa
Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) is very disappointed the industry’s cumulative voice hasn’t been heard, and is keen to see the government’s investment plan for the funds to be raised from the increase in the International Visitor Levy (IVL) ... More >>
Greenpeace Slams Govt Decision To Expand Seabed Mining Permit Area
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 10:47 pm | Greenpeace
Greenpeace says it’s "unbelievable" that wannabe seabed miner Trans-Tasman Resources has been given the go-ahead to nearly quadruple the size of the area it wants to mine in the South Taranaki Bight. More >>
New Rail Deviations Needed To Improve Productivity
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:38 am | The Rail Advocacy Collective
In light of the governments shopping list of roading projects, TRAC would like to draw attention to the governments total wilfully neglectful attitude to rail, climate change, pollution, road congestion and road safety. More >>
Watchdog Report On Places Of Detention Highlights Ongoing Harm
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:31 am | Human Rights Commission
The 2022/23 annual report by the National Preventive Mechanism on the Optional Protocol to the United Nation’s Convention Against Torture (OPCAT) has been tabled in Parliament (Friday, 3pm) More >>
New Zealand Catholic Church Suppresses Abuse Report
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:12 am | SNAP
Catholic Church leaders in Aotearoa New Zealand have refused to fully disclose an independent report on how they have handled abuse complaints. More >>
NRC Pleased To See RONS And RORS Funding Allocation
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:12 am | National Road Carriers Association
National Road Carriers Association (NRC) is pleased to see the Government’s announcements today allocating funding to Roads of National Significance (RONS) and Roads of Regional Significance (RORS). More >>
Local MP Opposes Greenwoods Car Park Removal
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:12 am | David Seymour
ACT Leader and MP for Epsom David Seymour has written to Auckland Transport and the Albert Eden Local Board in opposition to removing car parks from the West Side of Manukau Rd at Greenwoods Corner. More >>
Clubs Facing Extinction Should Be Empowered To Do Good
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:11 am | ACT New Zealand
Kiwis shouldn’t have to sacrifice their membership of a rowing club or bridge club just because a piece of legislation loaded on costs in a cost-of-living crisis. The people running these clubs are busy parents, grandparents, and hobbyists building ... More >>
Donations Available To Support Community Waitangi Day Celebrations
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:11 am | Ministry For Culture And Heritage
The 2025 Waitangi Day Celebration Fund (the Fund) is open until Monday, 7 October. More >>
Striking Social Service And Support Workers To Rally For Decent Wages
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:06 am | PSA
Union members are calling for a 5% increase for all members to keep up with the cost of living. This is their second strike in three weeks, after eight months of negotiations led to Visionwest offering meagre pay increases ranging from 0% to 2.6%. More >>
Shane Jones Called Out For Seabed Mining Misinformation
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:05 am | Greenpeace
The minister for mining and burning, Shane Jones, is trying to take New Zealanders for fools with inflated claims and misinformation about seabed mining off the coast of Taranaki, says Greenpeace. More >>
Submissions Open On Amendment Paper No 84 To The Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:04 am | EDSI Committee
We have decided to extend the deadline for submissions on the Regulatory Systems (Economic Development) Amendment Bill to invite submissions on amendments proposed by the Minister for Economic Development, in Amendment Paper No 84. More >>
NZ Needs A Safe Rates System To Protect Transport Drivers And Other Road Users
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:04 am | First Union
Lance Gush, FIRST Union organiser, emphasised the importance of a Safe Rates system in Aotearoa for both drivers and other road users. More >>
Fertiliser Pollution Set To Continue Under Ballance’s Call For More Fossil Gas
Sunday, 15 September 2024, 12:02 am | Greenpeace
Greenpeace Aotearoa is denouncing Ballance Agri-nutrients’ call for more fossil gas production, maintaining that urea needs to be phased out altogether. More >>
Free Speech Union Submits In Opposition To Law Commission Consultation On Amendments To Human Rights Act
Saturday, 14 September 2024, 11:53 pm | Free Speech Union
The paper examines extending section 21 of the Human Rights Act prohibited grounds of discrimination to include people who are transgender, non-binary and with innate variations of sex characteristics. More >>
Taxpayer Victory: Health Research Council To Actually Research Health
Saturday, 14 September 2024, 11:46 pm | Taxpayers' Union
Health research isn’t a game. Lives depend on medical advancements, and every cent spent on frivalous pet projects is money that can’t go towards improving outcomes for Kiwis. More >>
Universal Road User Charges Needed To Future-Proof Transport Funding
Friday, 13 September 2024, 10:50 pm | Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
Interim Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says while paying fuel excise at-the-pump was convenient for drivers, changes in vehicle technology and variability in fuel consumption meant it wasn’t an effective way of vehicle users paying a fair contribution towards ... More >>
Government’s Plans For Infrastructure Are “Promising” – Templer
Friday, 13 September 2024, 10:36 pm | Engineering New Zealand
Now, Templer is hopeful these initiatives will help projects get started soon and that there will be consistent management of the pipeline of infrastructure projects and workforce needed to ensure their delivery. More >>
Fast-track Approvals Bill Still Fundamentally Flawed, Despite Welcome Changes
Friday, 13 September 2024, 10:03 pm | Forest and Bird
Fast-track Approvals Bill Still Fundamentally Flawed, Despite Welcome Changes More >>
