Hobson’s Pledge campaign is facing what can be described as an own-goal after using a Rotorua woman’s image on billboards opposing Māori wards.
After complaints, the billboards were taken down. However, Te Pāti Māori escalated the situation by publicly sharing personal phone numbers of staff at LUMO, the billboard company, encouraging supporters to contact them.
This led to widespread harassment and threats, including death threats and plans to destroy billboards. Te Pāti Māori later removed the posts.
The government is set to phase out the petrol tax by 2027 and replace it with electronic road user charges (RUCs) applied to all light vehicles, including petrol, diesel, hybrid, and electric cars.
This shift could mean every Kiwi’s driving will be tracked to calculate fees based on distance travelled and vehicle weight, raising concerns about privacy and government surveillance.
Steve Howley, operator of Emerald Lawns in West Auckland, says he has received death threats and abusive messages after Te Pāti Māori president John Tamihere accused him on Facebook of vandalising election hoardings for Tamaki Makaurau by-election candidate Oriini Kaipara.
Despite new regulatory tools, Kiwi shoppers continue to pay among the highest grocery prices in the OECD, says the Grocery Action Group, following the Commerce Commission’s latest Annual Grocery Report.
Chair Sue Chetwin told Herald NOW, “There’s still very unhealthy competition or none … we’re still paying very high prices.”
New Zealand is re-emerging as an attractive destination for mining investment, driven by a new government keen to support the sector and the country’s rich mineral resources.
The Fraser Institute’s Annual Survey of Mining Companies ranks New Zealand as the 12th most attractive mining jurisdiction worldwide, ahead of traditional powerhouses like Western Australia.
New Zealand’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 5.2 percent in the June 2025 quarter, up from 5.1 percent in the previous quarter and 4.7 percent a year earlier.
This represents 158,000 unemployed people, an annual rise of 16,000 or just over 11 percent.
China has imposed strict quarantine measures on thousands of chikungunya virus cases in Foshan, sparking fears of a repeat of the zero-COVID approach with its mass surveillance and heavy enforcement.
At the same time, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced it was canceling USD$500 million (NZD$840 million) in contracts for mRNA vaccine development targeting respiratory viruses including COVID and flu.
