Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

PSNA says a proposed ‘thank you visit’ by Israel’s deputy Foreign Minister Sharren Haskel would be embarrassing for the New Zealand government and expose it as a collaborator with Israeli genocide in Gaza.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa Co chair, John Minto says he expects the New Zealand government will find some excuse to avoid having Haskel in New Zealand. 

Haskel, in an interview with genocide denier Sean Plunket on his radio show The Platform last month said she’d like to visit New Zealand in October saying “We want to thank the New Zealand government for its support over the last two years.”

Minto says the last thing Winston Peters would want the public of New Zealand to hear, is a high-level representative of the State of Israel coming here to praise him for his support for genocide and ethnic cleansing.

“Not because the praise would be false, but because it would be true.”

 “For two years now, our government has bucked public opinion, and it’s refused to sanction Israel, or take any measures to hold Israel to account, for its mass bombing and starvation of Palestinians in Gaza.”

“Instead, Winston Peters has provided political cover to genocide and ethnic cleansing, by amplifying Israeli propaganda and dismissing the desperate appeals from Palestinians, the United Nations and a whole range of international human rights groups.”

 “The damage to this country’s standing in the international community is incalculable.”

 “His predecessor National led government, of John Key, rebuked Israel for far less serious infractions of international law in 2010 and 2014.”

“Over previous decades, New Zealand would have spoken out strongly and taken a principled position. But now we have become the unprincipled runt among countries we like to compare ourselves with, and tried to make it all go away with the public by saying the issue is too complicated or we need more facts.”

“With our reputation goes our potential trading opportunities among the vast majority of countries in the world who recognise Palestine and stand with the Palestinians.”

Haskel’s proposed visit would be added to her tour to Fiji and Papua New Guinea both of which voted with a Pasifika bloc last year. to join with Israel and the US at the United Nations, against a ruling by the International Court of Justice.

Minto points to the fact that Fiji opened its new embassy in Jerusalem last week. 

“This is an extremely partisan and hostile act.  Fiji and PNG have joined only four other countries in the entire world to locate in Jerusalem to try to legitimise the illegal occupation of East Jerusalem.”

“It looks like Israel’s minister will still bully her way into Fiji and PNG, but my pick will be that Winston Peters will be too busy when Haskel plans to gatecrash the Beehive.”

“It’s a shame.  We’d be delighted to deliver a very strong demonstration to confront the representative of the worst atrocity of the 21^st Century.”

John Minto

Co-Chair PSNA

Tuesday, 23 September 2025 – Victoria University of Wellington (VUW)’s Academic Board has overwhelmingly voted to endorse boycott, divestment and other non-violent means to pressure Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and respect Palestinian human rights.

Hundreds of students and staff poured into the Hunter Council Chambers in solidarity with Palestine.

The motion directs the University to sever ties and not build future ones with institutions complicit in Israel's violations of Palestinian human rights and breaches of international humanitarian law. This includes any research and academic collaborations with institutions known to be involved in military technologies or doctrines.

It also calls on the University to support Palestinian scholars at risk, and protect staff and students’ academic freedom, freedom of expression, and freedom of assembly.

The motion passed with 55 votes in favour and one abstention.

“This is a powerful expression from students and staff in support of Palestinian human rights,” said Aria Gardiner, a Masters student at VUW and a member of Student Justice for Palestine (SJP) Pōneke. “Universities are the critic and conscience of society, and should speak out for justice, especially when our current government has shamefully refused to take action against Israel’s ongoing genocide.”

Professor of Health Annemarie Jutel, who also spoke at the meeting, said, “What’s really important is that students led this motion. One of the important things is that these students brought their critical-thinking skills, to understand what’s happening in the world today. Without that we have a sad future in front of us.”

“We are working on continued collaboration between students and staff, as we continue our BDS work and show solidarity for our Palestinian whānau,” said Carley Dove-McFalls, a member of University Workers for Palestine and teaching assistant at the University.

“This is just the first step – we need to see the University actually implement the motion’s objectives,” said Aria Gardiner. “We also call on other Universities across Aotearoa to follow in our footsteps, and ensure that our institutions sever ties with Israeli institutions and those complicit in the ongoing genocide.”

• 87% of New Zealand workers are concerned about the lagging effects of inflation outpacing salary increases in 2025 
• Generation X workers (94%) are most worried their salary will not keep up with inflation this year 
• Other worries Kiwi workers have include wide economic challenges (86%) and job security (72%).

Auckland, 23 September 2025 – Workers are most anxious about their financial wellbeing in 2025, with the lagging effect of inflation and the economy on their jobs weighing heavily on their minds, new independent research by specialised recruiter Robert Half finds.  

New Zealand's GDP is rising1 but research reveals workers are worried about any long-lasting financial effects to their hip pocket. When asked about what concerns they have in 2025, most (87%) employees cited inflation outpacing salary increases, although almost as many (86%) are also concerned about wide economic challenges. Both concerns ranked well ahead of any worries about job security.

Here are the top five concerns for workers in 2025:

• Inflation outpacing salary increases (87%) 
• Wide economic challenges (86%) 
• Job security (72%) 
• The ability to find work where I want (71%) 
• The ability to find a new job if needed (56%).

“Kiwi employees are expressing heightened concern about their financial wellbeing this year,” says Ronil Singh, Director at Robert Half. “While cash has always been king in the employee experience, workers are laser-focused on how their pay is translating to their current living circumstances.  

“The data also highlights a significant shift in priorities. Work-life balance and flexibility have been top of mind in recent years and remain important, however, financial stability has taken centre stage. In this climate, it's crucial for employers to revisit their compensation packages and prioritise competitive financial remuneration to address employee concerns about financial security.”  

The research reveals one generation is much more likely to be uneasy about the value of their income in the current economic climate. Almost all (94%) of Generation X employees cited they were concerned about inflation outpacing salary increases, a higher proportion than Millennials (86%), Baby Boomers (86%) and Generation Z (82%).

“Salary worries are not confined to younger workers who generally earn less than their older and more senior counterparts,” Singh says.

“While Gen Z may be slightly less anxious about salary compared to other generations, it's still a top concern for them, indicating a growing awareness of financial realities among younger workers. Employers, therefore, will need to consider what they can offer workers at all levels when undertaking salary reviews,” concludes Singh.

1 Gross domestic product: March 2025 quarter, Stats NZ, August 2025

About the research

The study is developed by Robert Half and was conducted online in November 2024 by an independent research company among 500 full-time office workers in finance, accounting, and IT and technology. Respondents are drawn from a sample of SMEs as well as large private, publicly-listed and public sector organisations across New Zealand. This survey is part of the international workplace survey, a questionnaire about job trends, talent management, and trends in the workplace.

About Robert Half

Robert Half is the global, specialised talent solutions provider that helps employers find their next great hire and jobseekers uncover their next opportunity. Robert Half offers both contract and permanent placement services, and is the parent company of Protiviti, a global consulting firm.  Robert Half New Zealand has an office in Auckland. More information on roberthalf.com/nz.

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua (RBNZ) has opened the second and final phase of the Exchange Settlement Account System (ESAS) application process and is accepting applications from all entities that meet the new access criteria.

ESAS is New Zealand's principal high-value payments system owned and operated by the RBNZ and is used by banks and other financial organisations to settle transactions in real time. In March 2025 the RBNZ completed a multi-year review of ESAS access and expanded the access criteria to include more non-bank entities.

The ESAS application process has remained open to registered banks throughout the access review. Licensed non-bank deposit takers (NBDTs) in New Zealand have been able to apply since April 2025. Now, all other interested entities can apply.

Financial Market Infrastructures and Settlements Director Steve Gordon says that in general, applications will be assessed in the order in which they're received.  

“We have resources in place to handle applications efficiently. Where an application is less complex and faster to assess, we will do so alongside progressing more complex applications, which may take more time.”

The RBNZ website has been updated with application information for each applicant category. There is a flowchart to help applicants determine which category applies to them, as well as information on prerequisites and requirements separate from the ESAS application process.

Information on how to apply: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=3957142364&e=f3c68946f8

The first step for all interested entities is to submit a short Expression of Interest form, which is available on the RBNZ website. Submitters will then be invited to an introductory meeting, after which they can decide if they'd like to apply. There is no fee until an application is formally submitted.

The RBNZ will assess applications using a two-step eligibility approach, considering: if an applicant is engaged in business activities that align with the purpose of ESAS; and if the applicant has an acceptable risk profile, which includes anti-money laundering compliance and meeting prudential, governance and operational requirements.

More information

Exchange Settlement Account System: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=e232777ad9&e=f3c68946f8

ESAS access criteria: https://govt.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=bd316aa7ee4f5679c56377819&id=f4e5b66abe&e=f3c68946f8

Source: NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi

The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi has welcomed changes to the Holidays Act that will provide sick, bereavement and family violence leave from day one of employment, remove the unfairness for those returning from parental leave, increase casual loading, and provide for pay statements.

However, some workers lose out in the changes proposed including removing commission and bonuses from holiday pay, reducing sick leave for part timers, and removing leave accruing for workers on ACC.

“The CTU has long advocated for improvements to the Act. We remain deeply concerned about the earnings that have been denied working people due to misapplication of the current Act. While we were successful in getting remedial settlements for many workers, such as health employees at Te Whatu Ora, many people have still missed out,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff. 

“When this review commenced under the last government, businesses and unions agreed that the Holidays Act should be simplified but that reforms should not result in a reduction in worker leave entitlements. 

“The proposed changes do not fully honour that understanding – they will reduce sick leave entitlements for part-time workers (and holiday pay for those on commission). 

“The impacts will disproportionately fall on Māori, Pasifika, women and other vulnerable workers, who are more likely to be in part-time and insecure work.

“It is good that the Act will be simplified but that didn’t need to come at the expense of the hard-won entitlements of working people,” said Wagstaff.

The full team of New Zealand Army engineers and support staff has arrived on the small island of Ma’uke in the Cook Islands, where they will conduct crucial infrastructure upgrades over the next few weeks.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules delivered the main body of personnel from 25 Engineer Support Squadron, 2 Engineer Regiment (2ER) on Monday, local time.

A large proportion of Ma’uke’s 240 residents were at the airport to welcome the aircraft and personnel with speeches and songs.

Exercise Tropic Twilight is a long-running annual exercise in various South West Pacific countries. It is funded by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and delivered by the New Zealand Defence Force.

This year, more than 30 personnel will carry out maintenance and improvements on Ma’uke’s solar farm, water infrastructure, school and halls.

Serving tradespeople from Australia, Fiji, Tonga and Vanuatu will contribute to work, and they will be backed up by medical and logistics teams.

Troop Commander Lieutenant Jarrod Wilson said the key tasks were repairs and upgrades to the island’s solar-powered water bores, the solar farm and work on Apii Ma’uke – the only school on the island.

“The water and power improvements will be quite far-reaching but even the smaller tasks, such as at the school, will mean things like the students won’t have to walk in the rain to go between classes.”

Tropic Twilight was a good opportunity to get offshore and for the military tradespeople to practice their craft in an expeditionary environment, Lieutenant Wilson said.

“2ER has a long history of this sort of work. Already this year our personnel have deployed around the Pacific, to places such as Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Tonga.

“We are confident that we can get everything done, we’ve got some pretty skilled people here.”

Lieutenant Wilson, who has been part of the advanced party on Ma’uke for a week, said the locals had already been fantastic hosts, and especially generous with food.

The soldiers had also been invited to a rare aka’uru’uru’anga ceremony, where three family members were invested as elders.

“It’s a welcome like I’ve never received before. They are really showing how hospitable they are.”

Mau’ke Mayor Joanne Rongoape Stephens said she was delighted Tropic Twilight was able to help maintain the island’s assets.

Ma’uke’s water supply, which is sourced from an aquifer and reticulated to users, was very important to the island, she said.

 “Our water is pure and we want to maintain that to make sure it keeps going for the next generation.”

She was also thrilled to have so many more people on the island and said it brought back memories.

“The last time I saw the Hercules was in 1985. Seeing it again is amazing. This is a joyful time.”

Tropic Twilight is also the first overseas exercise and a great experience for Sapper Killian Ansell, who has about one month of his four-year electrical apprenticeship to go.

It was an honour and privilege to be on Ma’uke and the locals had been very welcoming, he said.

The solar plant, which started in 2019, will have air conditioning units installed in the battery room to help stop the inverters overheating, allowing the batteries to operate efficiently, Sapper Ansell said.

“Normally we work on residential solar. The solar farm would be a big step up. It will be challenging once we get into it properly.”