The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is saying there is still huge work to do to ensure pay equity for women following the release of new data by Stats NZ that shows the gender pay gap remains largely unchanged.
Mean female wages rose only 0.2%. While women’s median pay rose 3.3%, this was in large part due to collective bargaining and pay equity settlements, which this Government has gutted. The CTU uses the mean figure as it better reflects the full diversity of wages in the economy.
“While Stats NZ prefer a measure that makes it look like there has been significant progress on the pay gap, in reality the average working woman in New Zealand is hardly better off,” said NZCTU Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges.
“The difference between the median and the mean likely reflects a lack of progress towards the gender pay gap outside of collectively bargained workforces. It has shifted the value for the middle worker – not for those on the lowest or highest incomes.
“It is likely that the progress made through collective bargaining has shifted the needle on the median wage. Increases in incomes for teaching, nursing, and other female-dominated public sector workforces have helped to close the gap.
“Pay equity settlements in some public sector workforces also likely helped, proving the success of the pay equity system in delivering real change in living standards.
“This data will represent the high-water mark for pay equity progress. The gutting of pay equity, and the below inflation offers for collective agreements in the public sector, means that the progress is unlikely to be sustained.
“At a time when we need to build on progress, the Government is deliberating preventing pay equity for some of the lowest paid women in our society,” said Ansell-Bridges.
Gender pay gap narrows to lowest on record – media release
27 August 2025
The gender pay gap was 5.2 percent in the June 2025 quarter, down from 8.2 percent in the June 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.
“The June 2025 quarter gender pay gap of 5.2 percent is the lowest since the series began in 1998,” labour market spokesperson Abby Johnston said.
“Annually, the gender pay gap declined by 3.0 percentage points, the first statistically significant annual decline noted since 2017.”
In the June 2025 quarter, reductions in the gender pay gap came from larger increases in median hourly earnings from wages and salaries for women than for men.
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The Public Service Commission has proposed to gut its specialist Pasifika public services development unit, Le Fale, with a 35 per cent funding reduction and nearly a 50 per cent drop in roles, from 17 to just nine.
PSA national secretary Duane Leo says the proposal is devastating for staff, who work both within New Zealand and across the Pacific to improve public services.
“It’s distressing for the team, but they’re also worried about the significant impacts this change will on Pasifika both in New Zealand and across the 16 Pacific nations they work with.
“Le Fale is a unique part of the public service that uses Pasifika expertise and lived experience to ultimately improve the lives of Pasifika. It’s a catastrophe to cut this team in two, when we know that public services, especially in New Zealand, don’t always serve Pacific people well.”
Established in 2020, Le Fale is housed at the Public Service Commission with funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
“Because Le Fale is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, we’re not sure what the international implications of this will be. The Public Service Commission notes in its own proposal that a long-term strategy for Le Fale is important, as is keeping up the momentum on its work.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is seeking public submissions on a proposed new herbicide to control broadleaved weeds in fodder beet crops.
FMC New Zealand Limited has applied to import or manufacture Trifix Herbicide, which contains 500 g/kg of triflusulfuron methyl, a chemical new to Aotearoa New Zealand.
FMC says it offers greater flexibility for application timing and better control of broadleaved weeds in fodder beet, a crop widely used for livestock feed.
“This application is part of our ongoing commitment to assess products with new active ingredients, providing new crop protection tools for New Zealand’s vital primary sector,” says Dr Lauren Fleury, EPA Hazardous Substances Applications Manager.
The EPA has carried out risk assessments for the product and is now inviting feedback on this application.
If approved, Trifix Herbicide could only be used by professionals in commercial settings, and users would need to comply with specific controls.
Triflusulfuron methyl is approved for use in Canada and the United States.
As an agricultural compound, Trifix Herbicide must also receive approval from the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) before it can be used in New Zealand.
Dr Fleury says the EPA is making strong progress to increase efficiency in assessing applications, with eight applications for new active ingredients currently in progress.
“We understand the importance of timely access to new products and have set ambitious new targets to boost our performance in this area.”
Submissions close onWednesday, 8 October 2025 at 11.59 pm.
The announcement of measures making it easier for supermarkets to establish and expand in New Zealand is a step in the right direction, and BusinessNZ would like to see the Government’s approach applied in other sectors of our economy.
Director of Advocacy Catherine Beard says encouraging investment and growth in the grocery sector – whether from existing operators or new entrants – has the potential to benefit consumers, drive innovation, and create opportunities for suppliers and employees.
“We particularly support amending the Fast Track Process to include supermarket developments – an approach that can help both current operators and newcomers. Initiatives such as establishing a single building consent process, streamlining approvals, and reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers are smart reforms.”
Beard says if multiproof approvals can be applied to supermarket developments, and improvements are made to the Overseas Investment Act, then those same tools could be extended to other sectors.
“Many parts of the economy could benefit from an ‘express lane’ approach that reduces delays, provides greater certainty, and encourages capital investment. Take for example energy infrastructure, other retail investment or aged care facilities.
“We note the Minister referenced potential changes to the Fair Trading Act. BusinessNZ has written to Government to express our concerns with the process. The Fair Trading Act applies to virtually every business in New Zealand, so it is essential that any changes are developed through a robust and transparent process.”
Beard says BusinessNZ will continue to advocate for regulatory settings that enable competition, encourage investment, and deliver better outcomes for both businesses and consumers.
“We look forward to working with Ministers, officials, and our members to ensure reforms are balanced and effective across the wider economy.”
The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.
Amotai, an Auckland Council-led national supplier diversity facilitator, celebrated its annual Supplier Diversity Awards on 26 August 2025, recognising standouts Independent Traffic Control, McConnell Dowell and Ministry of Education in three categories: Supplier of the Year, Buyer of the Year and Supplier Advocate of the Year.
The Supplier Diversity Awards took place on the evening of the Amotai Navigate Summit – New Zealand’s premier annual gathering dedicated to exploring and celebrating the transformative power of supplier diversity.
Co-Founder and esteemed Manukura for Amotai Anna-Jane Edwards says she’s proud to witness the continued growth of Amotai and finds this year’s theme ‘Strengthening Our Commitment’ particularly fitting.
“Amotai was born in 2018 after recognising the lack of diversity within Auckland Council’s own supply chain. Since inception, we’ve only gone from strength to strength – we’re delighted to have celebrated our seventh Summit event and our second Supplier Diversity Awards this year.
“The theme aims to inspire and demonstrate the resilience of the supplier diversity movement in Aotearoa. We hope to continue this momentum well into the future, recognising champions in this space along the way and learning from overseas best practices, while uplifting Māori and Pasifika communities here in Aotearoa,” adds Anna-Jane.
Auckland Council’s Chief Executive Phil Wilson says Amotai continues to live up to its name and deliver for under-represented communities.
“Amotai means the swell in the tide; a tide that can carry all waka to new horizons, and its efforts to date have been doing just that, by connecting buyers and suppliers to build a stronger, more inclusive economy and future for all.
“It’s great to see sold-out events at both the Navigate Summit and Supplier Diversity Awards this year – we’re continually inspired by the winners and wish them all a warm congratulations,” says Mr Wilson.
For the second consecutive year, Navigate Summit hosted an international delegation representing the United States, Canada and Australia. This year also marked the launch of a partnership with Auckland University, which aims to increase research and understanding about the impact of supplier diversity in Aotearoa, growing a body of evidence around the economy of mana in action through Māori and Pasifika enterprises.
The Amotai Supplier Diversity Awards 2025 finalists and winners are as follows:
Supplier of the Year ARC Asbestos Removal & Demolition
Independent Traffic Control (iTraffic) (winner) Tito Group
Buyer of the Year Air New Zealand Downer GHD McConnell Dowell (winner)
Supplier Advocate of the Year Adam Brown – JFC Ltd Junior Ioane – Ministry of Education New Zealand (winner) Megan McNay – Downer Roslyn Pere-Morris – Auckland Council
About Amotai
Amotai connects public, private and not-for-profit sector buyers across Aotearoa and Australia with Māori and Pasifika-owned suppliers with the aim to unlock opportunities for innovation, growth and resilience on both sides, supporting participating parties to positively impact communities through their procurement processes.
New research finds women who suffered childhood sexual abuse and multiple types of intimate partner violence were more likely to be hospitalised with diseases. Cancel Done
New research finds women who have experienced interpersonal violence and abuse are 1.6 times more likely to visit hospital with cancer and almost three times as likely to be hospitalised for respiratory diseases. See the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health.
About two-thirds of New Zealand women have experienced violence or abuse over the course of their lives.
These women are also:
twice as likely to be hospitalised for pregnancy complications 1.6 more likely to be hospitalised for digestive disorders, and 1.5 times more likely to be hospitalised for injuries (not necessarily resulting directly from the violence).
Experiences of childhood sexual abuse and multiple types of intimate partner violence were strongly associated with hospitalisation for these diseases.
“We are talking about a range of diseases that are serious enough to require hospital-level treatment,” says lead author Professor Janet Fanslow from the University of Auckland’s School of Population Health.
“Results also signal that we need to get serious about violence prevention, because the experience of violence is a cost to our health system. We know the country is struggling to pay for health services. So, supporting people to have healthy relationships and doing effective violence prevention up front is going to keep people safer, help them be healthier, and save us money.”
The researchers took reliable data on New Zealand women’s exposure to violence from earlier research and, with their permission, matched that group of women to their hospital records over 31 years from 1988 to 2019, then aggregated the figures.
“As far as we are aware, this is the first time researchers internationally have been able to reliably match hospitalisation data and solid data on women’s experience of violence,” Fanslow says.
“In our previous papers, we have had good assessments of violence from surveys, but then we have been reliant on people’s ability to remember and describe all of their health problems and their diagnoses, which can lead to inaccuracies.”
The study used gold-standard measures to find out about women’s experience of multiple types of violence, including childhood sexual abuse, physical or sexual violence by non-partners, and five types of intimate partner violence – physical violence, sexual violence, psychological abuse, controlling behaviours, and economic abuse.
More than 1,000 (1,151) ever-partnered women who were surveyed gave consent for linkage of their survey data with information on their use of hospital services from the New Zealand National Minimum Data Set on Hospital Discharges.
The new study explored the associations between each interpersonal violence type and hospitalisation for health conditions, after adjusting for the influence of age and ethnicity.
Experience of violence was common, with 62.6 percent of women reporting experience of interpersonal violence in their lifetime, including high rates of childhood sexual abuse (21 percent), sexual violence by non-partners (9.2 percent), and/or multiple types of intimate partner violence (21 percent).
Men also surveyed More than 1,000 (1,054) ever-partnered men were also surveyed. Of these, 68.4 percent reported some experience of interpersonal violence, with the majority of this (43 percent) coming from non-partner physical violence, mainly perpetrated by other men.
Men who experienced interpersonal violence were twice as likely as other men to be hospitalised for injuries or non-disease specific symptoms.
Childhood sexual abuse was reported by 7.5 percent of men in the survey.
Men who experienced childhood sexual abuse were seven times more likely to be hospitalised for nervous system disorders compared with men who had not experienced child sexual abuse.
“All interpersonal violence can have health consequences. However, the fact that experience of any interpersonal violence is associated with hospitalisation for a greater range of conditions among women than men is likely because the violence perpetrated against them is more frequent and/or more severe,” Fanslow says.
Implications “The whole point is that violence and the effects of violence are appearing in our health systems, but we're often not recognising it, and therefore we're not responding appropriately,” Fanslow says.
“If clinicians are aware violence could be contributing to the health problem, they could link people to appropriate support services, whether it's around immediate safety or long-term recovery and trauma-informed care,” Fanslow says.
She says health leaders need to prioritise and resource implementation of existing protocols and procedures, such as the national Violence Intervention Programme, if we are to respond effectively to violence. There needs to be proactive screening and routine inquiries about violence exposure.
The research was funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Source: New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment
Immigration advisers support a new residence pathway for migrants but urge the government not to repeat its mistake of setting the bar too high on English language requirements.
“The Business Investor Visa announced today is a positive step, but it's concerning that the requirements around English language have yet to be defined,” says the Chair of the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment, Simon Laurent.
“Immigration advisers certainly don't want to see a repeat of the mess around the Skilled Migrant Visa, which is bordering on racism as it discriminates against people from non-English language speaking countries.
“It's important that migrants can communicate in English, but the bar is set too high for the Skilled Migrant Visa. This harsh requirement must not be repeated in the new Business Investor Visa.
“New Zealand has a long and shameful history of immigration policies that have discriminated against people from non-Anglocentric countries. One of the principal tools for enforcing this racial and cultural bias was — and continues to be — how well they spoke English.
“The legacy of discrimination remains embedded in our current immigration system. And nowhere is this more evident than in the language requirements for permanent residence under the Skilled Migrant Category. The settings today are, irrefutably, too high.
“The current International English Language Testing System (IELTS) requirement for Skilled Migrant Residence is higher than that needed for international students to enter undergraduate study at University of Auckland.
“A Skilled Migrant applicant from a non-Anglocentric country must have a current test score at or above 6.5, whereas the University of Auckland requires students from countries that are not from a predominantly English-speaking country to provide a current test score at or above 6.0 for entry into a Bachelor of Arts degree programme.
“The requirement also surpasses the language standards required for enrolment in trades-based qualifications approved by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, which are typically set at a minimum of IELTS 5.0.
“If we are serious about equity and about selecting migrants based on their potential to contribute, rather than their country of origin, then our language requirements must reflect that, ” Laurent says.
The Association wants the Government to change these settings, ending discrimination against applicants from non-English speaking backgrounds who might otherwise make a material contribution to New Zealand.
“It's time to ensure our immigration rules reflect fairness, not old colonial prejudices. “Similarly, it is difficult to justify setting an English threshold for applicants under the new Migrant Investor Visa scheme that is too high, when at the same time we wish to encourage them to make a significant investment of their wealth and their business skills to our economy.
“A final point is that while the government has unveiled a pathway for experienced businesspeople, we await keenly the other half of the policy – that for start-up entrepreneurs. Both pathways are important to New Zealand, which has large numbers of mature business owners who want to retire and are looking to sell their business, plus opportunities for talented migrants to bring their new ideas to the New Zealand market,” Laurent says.
Simon Laurent is Chair of the New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment, the longest-standing organisation for immigration professionals.
Tax Justice Aotearoa are outraged by the proposed repeal of transparency provisions in the Government's new omnibus Taxation (Annual Rates for 2025–26, Compliance Simplification, and Remedial Measures) Bill, comparing the move to putting a blindfold on IRD, at a time when we need to be taking a closer look at how our tax system operates.
The Minister has described these as practical changes that make the tax system simpler and more effective, but when it comes to the repeal of s 17GB nothing could be further from the truth. This was the provision that enabled the IRD to conduct its groundbreaking research into high net worth individuals in 2023, which revealed the extreme inequality between the effective tax rates of the most well off and the average working New Zealander.
“This repeal is a fundamental blow to transparency in our tax system and shields the rich and powerful from legitimate scrutiny, making it harder to ensure our tax system is balanced and not asking too much of workers and those least able to pay,” says Glenn Barclay, spokesperson for Tax Justice Aotearoa.
“While it is very clear that s 17GB was necessary because pre-existing powers were insufficient to gather information that could inform policy change to address our unbalanced tax system, it is not clear what the problem is that the government is trying to fix with its repeal,” says Barclay.
“We understand that there were no reported problems during the research and reporting process relating to the High Net Worth Individuals project. No formal complaints were received and no legal action was taken against IR. IR appears to have conducted the process with integrity.”
“Most importantly, IR was able to produce important research that should inform the development of our tax settings going forward to address inequities revealed in that study,” says Barclay.
“While it is for the government to decide what tax policies it advances in light of such research, ignoring the evidence is one thing, but this measure is essentially outlawing crucial evidence from even being collected in the first place. That is deeply concerning when we're talking about fairness across our tax system and hardworking New Zealanders having confidence that they are getting a fair go.”
“We encourage all political parties to reconsider this matter as it goes through the select committee process and urge them to remove the repeal of s 17GB from this Bill.”
ASB has partnered with the New Zealand Product Accelerator to launch a programme which will connect artificial intelligence (AI), data science and business analytics master’s students and interns with ASB business customers. Students will be placed within a business for one semester to help them solve real world problems, using AI and innovative digital technologies to drive productivity.
NZ Product Accelerator works with Kiwi companies to identify opportunities to grow their business through implementing innovation, tech and science. Through this new partnership, ASB and NZ Product Accelerator will align a student’s unique skills with an ASB business customer’s individual needs to maximise growth potential.
Starting with an initial cohort of 13 students from the University of Auckland, the programme plans to scale up to around 100 student placements and internships each semester from a range of New Zealand universities. Businesses from a variety of sectors are participating, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, fashion and construction.
Private training institute academyEX, led by Frances Valintine, is one of the first businesses to join the programme and will work with a student to leverage data to improve its customers’ learning experience. Another student will join healthcare equipment company, Allied Medical, to develop an AI-powered system to accelerate and improve technical parts enquiries. Other businesses participating in the first cohort include cosmetics business The Beauty Lab Collective and manufacturer Windowmakers.
Ben Speedy, ASB’s General Manager Commercial Banking and Business Strategy says: “Unlocking productivity is essential for Kiwi businesses to grow, but many have been challenged with limited investment and slow tech adoption. This programme provides a practical way for businesses to integrate AI and accelerate growth. We’re excited to help these businesses gain cutting-edge skills, while offering students real-world experience. As AI, data science and business analytics continue to evolve, this partnership will be a game changer for these businesses.”
Sir Ian Taylor, Patron of the NZ Product Accelerator says: “The NZ Product Accelerator sits at the intersection of innovation, industry and impact. The partnership with ASB brings together the brilliance of Kiwi research and science with the real-world needs of business. The NZ Product Accelerator model proves how collaboration can accelerate progress, drive commercial success, and deliver lasting benefits to Aotearoa.”
Ben Speedy says: “Enabling growth is a priority for us at ASB. We continue to support exporters and innovators with capital and global network opportunities, as well as boosting our internal capability in the critical food and fibre and manufacturing sectors.”
Over the past five years ASB has grown business lending more than any other bank, with net business lending up $4.5 billion. Last year, ASB worked with the Employers and Manufacturers Association and Productivity and Transformation Consultants LMAC to deliver 21 productivity workshops, aimed at supporting manufacturers to embrace big data, digitisation and advanced technology. Over 200 businesses attended, with 40 of them going on to complete an investment roadmap for a productivity gaining initiative.
