Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi

Commission staff raised political neutrality concerns that were not sufficiently heeded.

An independent review into the Public Service Commission’s paid Facebook advertising against striking health and education workers involved in the October 23 mega strike vindicates the PSA’s concerns about the controversial campaign.

The review shows the Commission’s own staff raised concerns about political neutrality early in the process, warnings that were not sufficiently heeded before a rushed, poorly governed campaign went ahead.

The reviewer, Wellington barrister Jane Meares, found: ‘Disquiet that I heard from a number of staff members was not surfaced in the way it should have been.’

“This review shows public servants at the Public Service Commission raised serious concerns, at several points, that were never properly resolved,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi. “Lessons must be learned about how to approach collective bargaining in good faith.

“The Commission should never have run paid advertising against striking health and education workers; they should have listened to these workers concerns and worked on resolving them. The advertising was inflammatory and unhelpful and should not occur again.

“The Commission’s own integrity team warned, before these ads ever ran, that unions are allowed to be political and the Commission is not; ‘we are the system leaders for political neutrality. We must role model best practice.’ Staff said it clearly. Management pushed ahead anyway.

“This report shows that the Commission ran a poor process, concerns were ignored, and decisions were rushed,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, who was interviewed as part of the review. “Bottom line, the Commission acted poorly in hatching this paid social media advertising against striking workers. Lessons must be learned.

“The PSA is currently in bargaining with agencies employing more than 10,000 public service workers,” Fitzsimons said. “Trust in the Commission’s political neutrality matters more than ever, and today’s findings show why that trust cannot be taken for granted.”

The PSA says this report is directly relevant to the Commission’s handling of its current dispute with the PSA over ‘change the government’ campaign material, after Commissioner Sir Brian Roche directed the union to stop displaying the postcards in workplaces.

“It’s a bit rich for Sir Brian to lecture us on political neutrality today, when his own integrity team warned him nine months ago that the Commission had to role model best practice, and he pressed ahead regardless,” Fitzsimons said. “That standard has to apply to the Commission itself, not just to unions.”

The PSA disputes the Commissioner’s views on the postcards.

“We stand by our right to inform our members about why we need to change the Government to one which properly values the role of the public service in delivering for New Zealanders. We are seeking an urgent meeting with him and we have legal advice supporting our position.

“We are always willing to have a genuine conversation about political neutrality,” Fitzsimons said. “But that conversation has to be a two-way street.”

The review found the Facebook campaign was developed in as little as four working days, with no completed integrity or legal review before the first adverts went live, while the Commissioner and his chief advisor were both on leave. The reviewer stopped short of finding the tiles breached political neutrality but found that even though analysis suggested the Commission ‘could’ run the advertising, staff were left unable to properly answer whether the Commission ‘should’ do so.

The reviewer also found the sign-off process itself lacked rigour: ‘The sign-off process for the tiles does not appear to me to have had the necessary rigour in the circumstances.’

Background on Facebook advertising issue:

19 December 2025 — Explosive document dump days out from Christmas exposes Govt’s cynical attack on striking workers: https://www.psa.org.nz/news-media/explosive-document-dump-days-out-from-christmas-exposes-govts-cynical-attack-on-striking-workers

1 December 2025 — PSA welcomes external review of Public Service Commission strike adverts – PM now needs to intervene in health dispute: https://www.psa.org.nz/news-media/psa-welcomes-external-review-of-public-service-commission-strike-adverts-pm-now-needs-to-intervene-in-health-dispute

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

Source: Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission

New research from Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission reveals 55% of New Zealanders who have set up an emergency fund in the last three months can easily find money to cover an unexpected expense.

However, only 22% of New Zealanders who feel unlikely to set up an emergency fund can do the same.

The new research has been released as the Retirement Commission’s annual Sorted Money Month campaign kicks off on 1 August.

The theme for Money Month this year is emergency savings and coincides with the release of the new, free Sorted Buffer builder™ app, which helps New Zealanders automatically grow a cash cushion to cope with unexpected costs.

The new research from the Retirement Commission’s Financial Sentiment Tracker reveals the positive difference keeping emergency savings can make.

Retirement Commissioner David Boyle says having an emergency fund helps build financial resilience and creates a safety net to help absorb life’s unexpected expenses.

“Having an emergency fund reduces financial stress and helps you handle unexpected life events. Knowing you have money set aside specifically for unexpected expenses brings a sense of confidence and control.”

He says an emergency fund can help people avoid crisis borrowing and expensive debt when things go wrong, especially in the current challenging economic conditions.

“It also prevents people having to touch their KiwiSaver or withdraw from their long-term investments, so financial resilience ends up helping their future self to enjoy a better retirement outcome when they stop work.”

The new research found that in the year to June 2026, 62% of Kiwis have an emergency fund (compared to 58% the previous year).

“Whether it’s losing your job, needing a new car tyre or having to buy a new washing machine, an emergency fund provides peace of mind knowing you have money set aside to deal with life’s curveballs,” David says.

“Financial resilience is not about being wealthy, it’s about being prepared and it also reduces your financial stress which positively impacts your greater wellbeing.”

The new research also found that just having an emergency fund set up was associated with more positive financial sentiment.

It found that 59% of New Zealanders with a growing or sufficiently sized emergency fund feel very optimistic and confident about their future.

And 54% of New Zealanders who have set up an emergency fund within the last three months feel the same.

However, only 25% of New Zealanders who feel unlikely to set one up feel very optimistic or confident about their future.

This shows that people who have recently set up an emergency fund feel quite similarly to those who have an established emergency fund, so just setting one up is a great first step to make them feel more positive about their financial future.

The Sorted Buffer builder app was developed by Christians Against Poverty NZ (CAP) in partnership with the Retirement Commission, with some funding from Simplicity Foundation. The app connects to a user’s bank through Akahu, New Zealand’s open banking service.

CAP CEO Sam Garaway says an emergency fund helps people weather life’s storms and prevents them from tipping into financial hardship.

“We all know how challenging forming a habit can be. The Buffer builder app takes the friction out of saving by combining secure open banking technology with insights from CAP and Sorted to make savings automatic and easy.”

Sam says the number of people receiving CAP Debt Help is at a seven-year high.

“We’re hearing just how tough things are right now. With rising living costs and existing debt, it only takes a fall in income or a costly life event to send them into chaos,” Sam says.

Sorted Personal Finance Lead Tom Hartmann says even a modest emergency fund can provide breathing room.

“That’s why this Money Month we’re introducing Sorted’s Buffer builder app, so that people can more easily grow their emergency savings by paying themselves first, rounding up their spending, and topping up when they can. The app uses open banking data and AI to adapt to spending patterns and sets targets that make sense, wherever someone is at on their emergency savings journey.”

Simplicity Head of Education Jennie O’Donovan says Simplicity supported the creation of the Buffer builder app as it’s alarming to see how many New Zealanders struggle with an unexpected financial event.

“One of the big takeaways with the app is that your emergency fund doesn’t need to be built overnight. We know that having a clear goal and seeing progress makes saving feel much more achievable which ultimately buys you time and choices when the unexpected happens. We want that for all New Zealanders, which is why the Simplicity Foundation has supported this project.”

The financial sector and local grassroots communities are supporting Money Month with events and programmes across the country. These events can be found on the Sorted event calendar, allowing people to find out what is happening locally and get involved.

Notes to Editors

This research comes from the Retirement Commission’s Financial Sentiment Tracker, which surveyed approximately 4,000 New Zealanders aged 18+ across the year to June 2026.

About Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission

Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission aims to help New Zealanders to retire with confidence. Retiring with confidence means New Zealanders feel secure they’ll have resources to live and the know-how to make ends meet. We focus on three areas: Retirement Income Policies, Retirement Villages and Financial Capability. Te Ara Ahunga Ora runs Sorted, Sorted at Work, Sorted in Communities and Te whai hua – kia ora, Sorted in Schools and is responsible for the National Strategy for Financial Capability.

About Sorted

Sorted is a free service run by Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission, the government-funded, independent agency dedicated to helping New Zealanders get ahead financially. As New Zealand’s trusted personal finance site, Sorted has the information needed to tackle debt, plan and budget, save and invest, optimise KiwiSaver, plan for retirement, protect wealth, and manage a mortgage. Providing tools, guides and blogs, Sorted serves 1.5 million Kiwi each year.

About Christians Against Poverty NZ (CAP)

CAP is a charity that offers free, confidential Debt Help and Financial Mentoring services for whānau in unmanageable debt. CAP Debt Help operates in 40+ locations across the motu, in partnership with local churches. Since launching in Aotearoa in 2007, over 4,700 households have been supported from money chaos to thriving. And 20,000+ New Zealanders have taken a free CAP Money course helping them to spend, budget and save well.

Source: Business Canterbury

For the first time, all eight South Island Chambers of Commerce have come together to launch a shared election policy platform, calling on all political parties to back the South Island as a driver of New Zealand’s next phase of economic growth.

The document, Growing New Zealand from the South: A Policy Platform for Election 2026, sets out a shared vision for unlocking investment, productivity and sustainable growth across the South Island economy, while providing political parties with a clear and actionable blueprint for supporting regional business success.

Representing around 7,000 businesses, the South Island Chambers are setting an ambitious goal – lifting South Island GDP per capita to at least $130,000 by 2035 and positioning the South Island above the national average in living standards and economic performance.

Business Canterbury Chief Executive, Leeann Watson said the manifesto reflects the level of alignment among South Island businesses and regions.

“This is the first time all eight South Island Chambers of Commerce have come together around a single policy platform, and that in itself sends a powerful message.”

“The South Island is already a major contributor to New Zealand’s economy. We produce a third of the country’s exports, attract billions in visitor spending, and are home to innovative businesses competing on the world stage. Growth is already happening here.”

“Our message to political parties is simple, if New Zealand wants stronger productivity, higher incomes and greater resilience, backing South Island growth is one of the smartest investments we can make. Our document sets out the practical steps needed to make that happen.”

The manifesto focuses on six priority areas: workforce and immigration, infrastructure, energy, compliance and local government, investment and capital, and exports and international growth. It calls for common-sense policy changes that unlock investment, improve connectivity, reduce unnecessary compliance, strengthen workforce settings and support businesses to grow.

Watson said the platform was deliberately focused on practical actions rather than politics.

“This isn’t about asking for special treatment. It’s about recognising where opportunities already exist and ensuring the policy settings help businesses realise them.”

“We’ve worked across regions and sectors to identify areas where there is genuine consensus. The result is a constructive, business-led roadmap that any party serious about growing the economy should be able to engage with.”

Southland Business Chamber Chief Executive Sheree Carey said the South Island had a unique opportunity to lead New Zealand’s economic future.

“From food and fibre to advanced manufacturing, energy, tourism and technology, the South Island has many of the ingredients needed to drive New Zealand’s next wave of growth.”

“What businesses need now is confidence that infrastructure, workforce and regulatory settings will support investment and innovation. This platform provides a practical starting point for that conversation.”

Nelson Tasman Chamber of Commerce Chief Executive Ali Boswijk said the strength of the manifesto was the fact it reflected a genuinely shared regional voice.

“The South Island is incredibly diverse, but what we’ve found through this process is that businesses across our regions face many of the same opportunities and challenges.”

“Political parties often tell us they want alignment, clear signals and specific asks from the business community. This document provides that. It is a consensus-based, solutions-focused platform that reflects what businesses on the ground believe is needed to unlock growth.”

Watson said the manifesto was ultimately about ensuring New Zealand’s long-term prosperity.

“The South Island already contributes around $100 billion to the national economy and has enormous potential to do even more. By backing innovation, investment and productivity, we can lift living standards, create opportunities for our communities and help grow the wider New Zealand economy.”

“The opportunity is clear. Now we need the policy settings and investment that allow the South Island to reach its full potential.”

Policy platform: https://mcusercontent.com/bb79559f49d81d2dc4753a1dd/files/1c2cd6d7-3439-db96-fb1a-8a53edd3a78b/South_Island_Election_Manifesto_Final_Version.pdf

About Business Canterbury

Business Canterbury, formerly Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce, is the second largest Chamber of Commerce in New Zealand and the largest business support organisation in the South Island. It advocates on behalf of its members for an environment more favourable to innovation, productivity and sustainable growth.

Source: Northland Regional Council

The Northland Regional Transport Committee (RTC) has welcomed the Government’s announcement that a public-private partnership agreement has been signed to deliver the Warkworth to Te Hana section of the Northland Expressway.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop announced a Project Agreement had been signed this week between the Crown and the Northway consortium, with detailed design, site mobilisation and early construction works are expected to begin in the coming months.

Over its life, benefits of the expressway are expected to include 145 fewer deaths and serious injuries and travel time savings of seven to 10 minutes per vehicle.

Joe Carr, Chair of the RTC, today (subs: Fri 31 July) acknowledged the unanimous and strong support of all four Northland councils and all our Members of Parliament for the route.

He says the announcement marks an important milestone for Northland and a major step toward improving safety and resilience on the region’s key transport corridor.

“The committee has consistently advocated for safer, more reliable and more resilient transport connections between Northland and Auckland, and we’re pleased to see this project moving from planning into delivery.”

The work will include a new 26-kilometre, four-lane expressway with grade-separated interchanges at Warkworth, Wellsford and Te Hana.

Cr Carr says Northland’s transport network is critical to the movement of people, freight and essential services.

“Strong transport links are fundamental to Northland’s economic growth and prosperity. They support our businesses, connect our communities and help ensure goods can move efficiently to markets.”

“This project will improve resilience on one of the country’s most important transport corridors and provide greater confidence for Northland residents, visitors and freight operators.”

“We acknowledge the Government’s commitment to progressing this project and look forward to seeing work get underway.”

Source: SAFE For Animals

Today marks the final day of greyhound racing in Aotearoa New Zealand, with the industry officially coming to an end from 1 August 2026.

For SAFE, this milestone reflects something bigger than the end of dog racing. It shows New Zealand is willing to question practices that no longer reflect our values or our expectations for how animals should be treated.

SAFE recognises the extraordinary commitment of Greyhound Protection League, HUHA, SPCA, Dogwatch, rescue organisations, volunteers, and the thousands of New Zealanders who campaigned for change by documenting welfare concerns, contacting decision-makers, signing petitions, attending protests and welcoming greyhounds into their homes.

“Today belongs to the greyhounds. It also belongs to everyone who never gave up on them,” says SAFE Campaign Manager Emma Brodie.

“Change like this doesn’t happen overnight. It happens because people continue speaking up, even when they’re told it’s impossible. Today’s outcome reflects years of persistence from organisations, advocates and everyday New Zealanders who believed greyhounds deserved better.”

While today is a day of hope, Brodie says it is also a time to remember the greyhounds who never got to experience life beyond the racetrack.

“Just days ago, five-year-old greyhound Tiger Jane lost her life on the track. Her death is a heartbreaking reminder of why this change was needed, and why today’s milestone matters. Today, we remember every greyhound who paid the price before this industry came to an end.”

From tomorrow, no more greyhounds will be bred into racing in New Zealand.

“That’s what makes today so significant. No more dogs will enter an industry where injury and death are accepted as part of the business. That’s something every New Zealander can be proud of.”

SAFE says the end of greyhound racing should inspire confidence that New Zealand can continue making meaningful progress for animals.

“History is shaped by moments like this. Practices once defended as tradition can become part of our past when they no longer reflect who we are or the values we aspire to,” says Brodie.

“We hope the end of greyhound racing signals a positive direction for Aotearoa, one where compassion increasingly guides our decisions, and we continue questioning systems that ask animals to suffer for the benefit of humans.”

About SAFE

SAFE is Aotearoa’s leading animal rights organisation. We’re creating a future that ensures the rights of animals are respected. Our core work empowers society to make kinder choices for ourselves, animals and our planet.

Notes:

• On 28 July 2026 at Addington Raceway in Christchurch, Tiger Jane fell when running with interference around the bend resulting in the greyhound getting dragged down. Referred to the Veterinarian where the greyhound was reported to have a fractured left humerus, she was euthanised due to the catastrophic nature of the injury. She was five years old.
• Since the ban on greyhound racing was announced on 10 December 2024, over 1,100 dogs have suffered raceday injuries requiring a standdown period — including 142 broken bones — and 22 dogs have died (as at 28 July 2026).

Source: University of Auckland

Friday, July 31, 2026

When a new drug shows a 30 to 60 percent cure rate in laboratory models of cancer, there’s cause for excitement.

A New Zealand team has carried out early experiments on a new cancer drug that displays that level of promise.

The research is led by University of Auckland Associate Professors Jeff Smaill and Adam Patterson from the Department of Cancer Sciences, and Malaghan Institute Professor Ian Hermans.

“It’s early days, but we’re seeing long-term eradication of cancer in lab experiments using this new drug,” says Smaill.

“It’s exciting to see that once the cancer is cured, if we try to reintroduce the same type of cancer, it won’t establish a second time.

“So this treatment looks promising in terms of preventing relapse.”

The drug gives a unique boost to the body’s immune defences, mobilising them inside tumours to help fight cancer, says Patterson.

While the new treatment is currently being targeted at lung cancer, it could be used to increase the chances of surviving many types of cancer, Patterson says.

To further develop the drug, the team has just launched a new company, Stave Therapeutics, which has attracted investment from Unruly Partners.

The scientists hope to optimise the drug’s potential, before launching world-first clinical trials with cancer patients within the next two years.

Over the past 15 years, immunotherapy drugs have been created that help treat about 20 different cancers. However, they are only effective long-term for about 20 to 25 percent of lung cancer patients and for about 5 to 15 percent of patients with other major types of cancer.

Smaill says the team is “like a dog with a bone”, relentlessly looking for ways to develop treatments that are more effective for more patients.

Their innovative approach involves turning ‘cold tumours’, which few immune cells have infiltrated, into ‘hot tumours’, which are inflamed by armies of immune cells attacking the cancer, says Hermans.

“We’ve been working on a way to stimulate immune cells in the tumour, even if there are very few of them.

“We want to get them to release the signalling molecules that make a tumour hotter, more inflamed, that attract immune cell penetration into the tumour,” says Hermans.

Trials in laboratory models that don’t respond to existing immunotherapy drugs have been promising, says Patterson.

They show the new drug stimulates the body’s immune defences and increases the number of T cells entering the tumour to fight cancer cells.

Stronger immune responses are activated when the new compound is used in combination with existing immunotherapy drugs that stop cancers turning off the body’s immune defences, says Patterson.

“We think converting tumours from cold to hot is going to be the real way to get immunotherapy working better.

“If we can achieve this, we can make a big impact on treating a lot of different cancers,” Patterson says.

Over the past 30 years at the University’s Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, Smaill and Patterson have created six new cancer drugs that have reached the stage of clinical trials.

Smaill worked with pharmaceutical company Pfizer to discover dacomitinib, a lung cancer treatment that gained global approval for patient use in 2018.

Two new drugs the pair have developed to treat a range of cancers are undergoing phase one clinical trials in Europe and China. They developed a third cancer drug, tarloxotinib, which has advanced to phase two clinical trials in the United States, Australia, Canada and Hong Kong.

In 2021, funding from Maurice Wilkins Centre helped launch their latest research, followed by a $1.2 million Health Research Council grant. Last year the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment granted more than $5 million over three years for the project. Cancer Society Auckland Northland has also provided significant funding supporting Smaill and Patterson’s research.

Over the next 18 months, Stave Therapeutics plans to test hundreds of compounds to optimise the treatment’s potency and reduce potential side effects.

“It’s still early days, but we’re pretty amped up about this one,” says Smaill.

“When you’re designing new molecules the universe has never seen before and you’re controlling the chemical structure to make things happen in ways you can predict, it’s a real buzz.

“There’s always a rush when you go: We’ve doubled the potency, or we’ve increased the selectivity, or we’re seeing a 60 percent cure rate in our lab experiments.”

Source: Loopy Tunes

Christchurch-based children’s music stars Loopy Tunes sister duo have returned with an inspiring new waiata, ‘Kia Kaha Kōrero Mai’ released today, encouraging whānau and educators to embrace te reo Māori.

The duo, sisters Siu Williams-Lemi and Leah Williams-Partington (Ngāpuhi, Tonga) invites whānau and educators to kōrero Māori with an interactive way of learning Māori vowel sounds to keep the language alive and thriving.

Siu Williams-Lemi, who wrote the waiata, says ‘Kia Kaha Kōrero Mai’ is about normalising te reo Māori in every household around Aotearoa – starting with our youngest tamariki – by encouraging listeners to learn karakia, waiata and kōrero Māori.

“It’s a fun, catchy, earworm of a waiata that will help anyone raising or teaching young Kiwi kids to give te reo Māori a go,” she says.

The duo’s passion for sharing te reo Māori and reo rua waiata began fifteen years ago, with weekly bilingual language classes they provided for their community. Those classes continue today, a testament to the sisters’ ongoing commitment to giving back.

Leah Williams-Partington says the waiata is exactly what Loopy Tunes represents.

“Our kaupapa has always been to share our waiata and improve access to te reo Māori for the next generation. We encourage both Māori and Tangata Tiriti to get involved. Te reo Māori is a language for everyone,” she says.

Across their career, Loopy Tunes has created a range of language learning resources, including more than 180 waiata across 10 different Pacific languages, and a Rainbow Book Collection of bilingual picture books.

‘Kia Kaha Kōrero Mai’ is made with the support of NZ On Air and is available now on all major streaming platforms.

Stream Kia Kaha Kōrero Mai: https://music.drm.co.nz/kiakaha-koreromai

Source: Consumer NZ

31 July 2026

Consumer NZ is warning that gaps in Aotearoa’s product safety system are leaving shoppers exposed, after finding a toy banned in the United Kingdom can still be bought here through online marketplaces.

A number of “Squeezy Dumplings” were recalled in the UK in June after testing found benzene in the outer layer. Benzene can irritate the skin and, where exposure is significant, cause a burning feeling throughout the digestive tract.

The recalled toy is an imitation of the popular “Squishy Dumpling”, originally made by UK company RMS. While several similar toys are available in New Zealand, including at The Warehouse and Kmart, Consumer NZ did not find the recalled version in those stores.

However, the organisation successfully ordered what it believes to be a banned “Squeezy Dumplings” toy from AliExpress in July, after the UK product safety recall. Head of Research and Advocacy Gemma Rasmussen says the availability of potentially dangerous toys through online marketplaces exposes a fundamental weakness in how product safety is managed in New Zealand.

“Shoppers shouldn’t have to wonder whether a toy is safe. Yet for many products sold online, there has been no independent testing before they reach New Zealand homes. Our product safety laws have not been significantly updated in decades, while our in-store and online marketplaces have changed dramatically.

“We have strong concerns that the toy we ordered contains benzene, but we do not know for sure because chemical testing is prohibitively expensive.”

Shoppers may assume there is a level of independent testing before products wind up on shelves or in online baskets, but the reality is that manufacturers themselves are often allowed to decide whether products comply with safety requirements.

New Zealand has a product safety standard for children’s toys enforced by the Commerce Commission which does take action periodically. The system is far from watertight and there remains a risk that unsafe products cross our borders every day.

“That system only works if manufacturers are doing the right thing and problems are identified quickly,” Rasmussen says. “Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.”

Consumer NZ says recent local incidents have raised broader questions about the reliability of supplier safety assurances. Earlier this month, research by Auckland University of Technology confirmed asbestos was present in some children’s play sand sold in New Zealand and that airborne fibres could be released during normal play. The safety regime used by New Zealand and Australian regulators is often heavily reliant on risk assessments commissioned by product suppliers, rather than independently verified testing.

“Whether it’s asbestos in play sand or benzene in a toy, these cases demonstrate why we cannot rely solely on manufacturers’ own safety claims. We need our government to introduce a product safety system in Aotearoa that reflects the risks we currently face in our marketplaces,” says Rasmussen.

MBIE advice before buying a squishy toy:

• Inspect the product for strong chemical smells, leaking liquid or gel, tears, cracks, weak seams, or loose or detachable small parts that could choke a small child.
• Buy from reputable retailers and established brands.
• Ask the retailer for evidence or confirmation that the toy has been safety tested.
• Check the toy has clear age recommendations and safety instructions.

To avoid harm:

• Do not allow children to chew, bite, puncture, or cut open squishy toys.
• Never microwave, heat, freeze, or alter the toy.
• Remove and dispose of any toy that becomes torn, damaged, leaks, or develops a strong chemical smell.
• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and age recommendations.
• Supervise younger children during play.
• Keep damaged toys away from young children and pets.

MBIE product guide: https://www.productsafety.govt.nz/keeping-kids-safe/product-guides/viral-squishy-toys

About Consumer

Consumer NZ is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to championing and empowering consumers in Aotearoa. Consumer NZ has a reputation for being fair, impartial and providing comprehensive consumer information and advice.

Source: Save the Children

The number of children receiving treatment for the most dangerous form of malnutrition in Baidoa, south central Somalia, nearly tripled in six months, according to new figures from Save the Children’s stabilization centre in the region [1], warning over the country’s worsening drought and hunger crisis.

Health care workers at Save the Children's Baidoa stabilization centres treated 400 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with other medical complications in June – nearly three times as many as the 143 admitted in January.

In total, the stabilization centre treated 1,405 children between January and June 2026, a 177% increase compared with the 507 children treated a year ago.

Poor rainfall, reduced harvests, livestock losses, reduced foreign aid, high food prices, and weaker household purchasing power is driving this worsening hunger crisis in Baidoa, said Save the Children.

The deterioration in hunger and malnutrition also comes as Somalia marks 15 years since a famine was declared 20 July 2011, killing over 250,000 people, about half of them children under five.

Admissions to the centre’s outpatient programme, which treats moderate acute malnutrition cases also saw a sharp 268% increase in the first four months of the year. However, stock-outs of ready-to-use therapeutic food and other essential supplies due to aid cuts and the conflict in the middle east has meant that families are no longer able to receive treatment and many have stopped going to the centre, Save the Children said, leading to a sharp decline in admissions from April onwards [2].

While faced with a worsening drought and hunger crisis, aid organizations are also grappling with steep funding shortfalls, with more than 300 nutrition facilities reportedly closed across Somalia this year [3], reducing access to treatment for vulnerable children and families. This has caused a dangerous decline in number of people receiving humanitarian assistance, with only 12% of people in need being reached [4].

In May, data from the global hunger monitor, the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), showed that about half of children under 5 in Somalia are facing acute malnutrition with Burhakaba district in the Bay region of southwest Somalia classified to be facing the risk of famine through June 2026 – the first time such a classification has been announced in Somalia since the devastating drought of 2022.

As well as hunger, disease outbreaks are multiplying the risks for children in Somalia, with the outbreaks of measles, cholera and acute watery diarrhoea worsening malnutrition among children. The Federal Government of Somalia declared a drought emergency in November 2025, its first such declaration since the country narrowly averted famine in 2022, but resources are still outpacing needs.

Aisha-, 27, whose two-year-old daughter Ayan- was treated for severe acute malnutrition at the centre after the family was displaced by drought, said:

“We used to depon farming and livestock keeping. However, the drought affected our livelihoods and forced us to leave our home and move to Baidoa.

“My two-year-old daughter, Ayan-, became seriously ill. Her illness began with a fever and later developed into diarrhoea and sores in her mouth.

“When we first arrived, she was not eating anything. However, after receiving treatment, she began eating well. She even started asking for the food I was eating.”

Mustaf, a doctor at the Save the Children-supported stabilisation centre in Baidoa, said:

“This year, the number of children we are treating has doubled or even tripled compared with previous years, mainly because of the severe drought. Pastoralists have lost their livestock and farmers have suffered repeated crop failures.

“We depheavily on humanitarian assistance from organisations such as Save the Children. Should that assistance decrease, we will be unable to continue providing essential services. Medicines and equipment will run short, and many children whose lives could have been saved may not receive the treatment they need.”

Mohamud Mohamed Hassan, Save the Children's Country Director in Somalia, said:

“Fifteen years ago, the world watched Somalia's children die in a famine that early warnings failed to stop. Today those warnings are flashing again in the same regions, and the children reaching our centre in Baidoa are more severely ill than we have seen in years.

“The difference between a warning and a tragedy is whether the response arrives in time. In 2011 it did not. We cannot let Bay Region's children pay that price twice.”

“We know how to prevent this. What is missing is not knowledge but funding and speed. If assistance reaches Bay Region now, these children will recover and go home. If it comes late, we will be counting a cost we promised in 2011 never to repeat. The world now has to match that urgency.”

Save the Children is calling for an urgent and sustained scale-up of food security, nutrition, health and water and sanitation assistance in Bay region and other hotspots, and for the funding needed to reach children before Burhakaba crosses the line into famine.

Save the Children has worked in Somalia since 1951, delivering health, nutrition, education, child protection and emergency assistance for children and their families. The New Zealand Government currently supports Save the Children to deliver unconditional cash assistance and child protection prevention and response services to households in Somalia facing severe food insecurity through its Disaster Response Partnership.

NOTES:

[1] Baidoa admissions figures are drawn from Save the Children's own programme data, January to June 2026, compared with the same period in 2025.

[2] Cases to the outpatient programme: 1167 cases in April, 317 in May and 520 in June, caused by critical delays and stock-outs of ready-to-use therapeutic food and other essential supplies used in treatment.

[3] Save the Children, “When Aid Disappears, Childhood Disappears Too”, 28 April 2026.

[4] IPC Somalia Acute Food Insecurity and Acute Malnutrition Projection Update, April to June 2026, issued 14 May 2026: about half of children under five acutely malnourished; Burhakaba at risk of famine; humanitarian assistance reaching only 12 percent of people in IPC Phase 3 or above.