Tory Whanau withdrew from the Wellington mayoral race to avoid a damaging Green vs Labour contest after Andrew Little entered with Labour’s backing, saying it was "what’s best for the city." ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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Economy

Health

Briefing for 29 April 2025

Tory Whanau quits mayoral race – sparing Wellington a bruising left-wing civil war

Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has abandoned her re-election bid, saying she did not want a "Green vs Labour narrative" after former Labour leader Andrew Little entered the race with official party backing.

However, she plans to run for the council’s Māori ward and campaign for Green candidates.

In an interview with NewstalkZB, Whanau rated her mayoral performance a 9 out of 10.

‘We’ve gone too left’: Vocational expert warns NZ is trapping young people in welfare

One in four New Zealanders aged 15 to 19 – about 23 per cent – are not in work, education, or training, according to Duncan Garner’s latest podcast.

Garner called it “a ticking time bomb” and warned of a looming lost generation trapped in doomscrolling, welfare dependency, and disengagement.

‘I’m not safe here’: Global investigation exposes CCP repression reaching New Zealand

China’s repressive arm stretches further than many New Zealanders realise.

A new international investigation by 104 journalists across 30 countries, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), has revealed the extent of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) transnational harassment – including targeting dissidents living in New Zealand.

Senior doctors to strike as pay dispute deepens

More than 5000 senior doctors will strike on 1 May after mediation between Health NZ and the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) collapsed, postponing about 4300 planned treatments and assessments.

Health NZ deputy chief executive Cath Cronin said the agency was “deeply disappointed” the union refused to present the latest offer to members, adding, “We value our doctors and want to do the best we can for them, but the reality is that Health NZ has limited budget available for salary settlements within its tight financial constraints.”

‘We will not agree’: Shane Jones, David Seymour push back against Waitākere Ranges ‘co-governance’ plan

New Zealand First MP Shane Jones and ACT leader David Seymour have come out strongly against a proposal to create a 50-50 decision-making committee for the Waitākere Ranges, saying it would breach the coalition’s commitment to end co-governance of public services.

Jones warned, “We will not agree with any deed of acknowledgement that represents an ideological mustard seed that will morph into a template for co-governance,” arguing the proposal goes beyond what the Waitākere Ranges Heritage Act 2008 requires.

Police probe recruitment breaches as physical test failures admitted to training

Police are investigating after three applicants who failed the required physical appraisal test (PAT) were allowed to begin training at the Royal New Zealand Police College, in breach of recruitment policy.

Assistant Commissioner Tusha Penny confirmed the error and said the force had launched a six-month audit to determine if other standards were compromised. “Our process does not allow for exemptions to the PAT, and this is a clear breach of the recruitment policy,” she said.

US funding cuts hit Auckland COVID vaccine study

Auckland University’s Global Vaccine Data Network faces an uncertain future after the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) review ended its US$10 million funding stream more than a year early.

Associate Professor Helen Petousis-Harris, who has long defended New Zealand’s COVID vaccine policies, described the decision as “gutting, but not really surprising.” She claimed it would destabilise science and undermine public trust.