Bruce Jepsen, president of the Māori Principals’ Association, accused the Education Ministry of “white supremacy” and other extreme wrongdoing over its decision not to reprint the junior reader At the Marae. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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Briefing for 11 Aug 2025

Too busy fielding ‘devastated’ calls to lodge ‘white supremacy’ complaint, says Māori principals’ leader

Bruce Jepsen, president of Te Akatea, the Māori Principals’ Association, has unleashed a torrent of accusations against the Education Ministry for deciding not to reprint At the Marae, a junior reading book.

The Ministry’s stated reason is that the book contains several Māori words that do not fit well with the sequence children use when learning to read by sounding out words.

Swarbrick defends wealth tax as ‘fairness’ and a ‘needed redistribution’ of wealth

Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick insists the party’s proposed wealth tax is a matter of “fairness” and an essential step toward a “needed redistribution” of wealth in New Zealand.

The Greens’ 2025 budget document proposes raising about $89 billion through a combination of a wealth tax, an inheritance tax, and reinstating the 10-year bright-line test.

What’s really in the WHO health regulations

The idea of the World Health Organisation (WHO) as a global health enforcer set to override national sovereignty by imposing mandatory vaccines, lockdowns, or travel restrictions is not supported by the amended International Health Regulations (IHR).

The WHO remains an advisory body without legal power to force any country, including New Zealand, to take specific health measures.

Luxon and Albanese get ‘cuddly’, focusing on lifting living standards and deepening Trans-Tasman ties

New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese met in Queenstown for their annual Trans-Tasman talks, expressing a shared commitment to lifting living standards and strengthening cooperation between the two nations.

A focus of the discussions was making it easier to do business across the Tasman by simplifying regulations and standards in sectors like construction, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Military-style boot camp pilot hailed a success despite majority reoffending

A recent pilot programme involving a military-style academy for young offenders has concluded with mixed results, according to Oranga Tamariki, seven of the ten participants reoffended during the 12-month pilot.

Despite this, the agency and Minister for Children Karen Chhour are calling the programme a success after eight of the original ten completed it.

Labour ignored warnings about reckless COVID spending – Kiwis footing a $66 billion bill

A Treasury briefing has laid bare the scale of Labour’s overspending during the COVID pandemic, revealing a $66 billion cost over six years.

This is equivalent to 20 percent of New Zealand’s GDP.

US federal agencies ordered to erase employees’ COVID vaccination records after legal settlement

In the United States, federal government agencies have been told to remove all records related to employees’ COVID vaccination status, exemption requests, or any previous noncompliance with vaccine mandates.

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) instructed agencies that vaccination status must no longer be used in employment decisions, including hiring, promotions, discipline, or termination.