Many pharmacists oppose the Pharmacy Council’s new cultural competency rules, which require them to perform Māori waiata, prioritise Māori voices, and advocate for Te Tiriti principles. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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Economy

Health

Briefing for 28 Feb 2025

Pharmacists revolt over ‘racist, woke’ cultural mandates—Minister steps in

Pharmacists across New Zealand are upset over new cultural competency rules imposed by the Pharmacy Council, which require them to perform Māori waiata, prioritise Māori voices, and advocate for Te Tiriti principles.

Critics argue these mandates are an ideological overreach, undermining scientific standards and placing unnecessary barriers on professionals.

Law firm under fire for warning doctors on gender treatments

Wellington law firm Franks Ogilvie is facing backlash after warning gender-affirming care providers of potential legal risks tied to puberty blockers and other treatments for minors.

The firm, acting for Inflection Point NZ, sent letters citing the UK’s Cass Report and other international moves to restrict such treatments.

Treaty historian ridiculed in court hearing

Historian Martin Fisher’s credibility took a hit in the High Court after he admitted key claims in his testimony weren’t directly supported by his sources.

Fisher, a University of Canterbury senior lecturer and author of a book on the Ngāi Tahu settlement, had positioned himself as an independent expert witness—but under cross-examination, he struggled to justify his statements.

Selective scrutiny: Charity status stripped for some, ignored for others

Bob McCoskrie’s Family First lost their charity status due to alleged political activity in 2022 for advocating conservative social policies. Recently, Brian Tamaki’s Destiny Church is facing calls to have their status revoked after recently engaging in conservative political activism.

Yet, New Zealand’s rainbow advocacy groups—many of which openly lobby for policy changes, receive government funding, and push ideological agendas in schools—face no similar crackdown.

When it comes to church burnings, the media dares not call it ‘hate’

Seven churches in Masterton were targeted in arson attacks early Saturday morning, with four suffering damage. Yet, despite the scale of the attacks, one word is missing from media coverage: “hate.”

When a pride centre in Tauranga was set on fire in 2022, the media had no hesitation in labelling it “an act of terror.” But this time, headlines ran with a “spate of church arsons” and a “suspicious” incident—despite a man allegedly taking responsibility on Facebook.

Transpower held back 20% of hydro capacity during energy crisis—why?

New Zealand’s energy sector is scrambling after last year’s power crisis, and Meridian Energy’s CFO Mike Roan is questioning why 20% of the country’s hydro storage was kept off-limits during the shortage.

In an interview with Mike Hosking, Roan called it a “no-brainer” to tap into this reserve, yet Transpower failed to do so—even as electricity prices spiked to $800 per megawatt-hour.

Corporate DEI is crumbling—here’s why companies are ditching it

DEI is in full retreat—not just a correction, but a collapse. Once considered corporate gospel, diversity, equity, and inclusion policies are being rapidly abandoned as businesses face legal risks, economic realities, and consumer backlash.

Major companies, including Citigroup, Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, and even BlackRock, are scrapping race-based hiring mandates and quietly stripping diversity pledges from corporate filings. PBS has shut down its DEI office entirely.