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Govt Funding – New Board won’t fix Health NZ without funding reset – digital services must be prioritised – PSA
Source: PSA
A new Health NZ Board cannot fix a broken system without a fundamental funding reset – starting with the gutted Digital Services group.
The PSA congratulates incoming Chair Mark Darrow and new Board members Michael Schubert and Dr Bryan Betty on their appointments to the Health New Zealand Board announced by Health Minister Simeon Brown today but warns that changing the Board will not be enough to address the deep problems created by years of Government-imposed cuts.
“At the end of the day, changing the Board won’t help unless the Government provides the increased funding the public health system urgently needs,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pukenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“One priority must be digital services which a modern public health system relies on. Under this government hundreds of experienced digital experts have been lost, upgrades have stalled, and hospitals have been left with a legacy of IT outages that have forced clinicians onto whiteboards and paper forms. You can’t run a modern health system like that.
“The PSA is calling on the new Board to commission an urgent review of the impact of legacy IT systems across Health NZ – and to be transparent with the public about what it finds. New Zealanders deserve to know the true state of the systems their health care depends on.
“The health system is struggling and the new Board must take a fundamentally different approach to the workforce.
“We need a Board that respects the expertise of health professionals and ensures they have the support they need to do their job properly. That means listening to nurses, allied health workers, IT specialists, public health workers and administrators – the people who keep the health system running – rather than treating them as a cost to be cut.
“This is why we firmly believe it’s time to put worker representation on the Health NZ Board. Workers bring frontline knowledge and expertise that is too often missing from governance decisions. A health system that genuinely puts patients first starts with valuing the people who care for them.”
“The PSA stands ready to work constructively with the new Chair and Board – but workers, patients and the public deserve to see real change, not just new faces around the table,” Fitzsimons said.
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.
Govt Cuts – New report from Save Science Coalition lays bare human cost of science cuts
Source: PSA
A group of scientists are calling for an expanded, non-partisan approach to science funding after two years of widespread cost-cutting by the coalition government resulting in over 700 science roles lost.
The Save Science Coalition’s new report, ‘Underfunding our Future: The Human Face of the Science Cuts’ [attached], contains eleven stories from New Zealand scientists who had to move countries or shift into a different field to find work as a result of the cuts, as well as some scientists who can’t find a job at all.
Geoscientist Caleb Rapson Nuñez del Prado took voluntary redundancy at GNS Science (now Earth Sciences NZ) in 2025 after his team was cut by 25 per cent.
In his former role, he contributed to 24/7 monitoring of New Zealand earthquake and tsunami risk, sending out real-time alerts to emergency management agencies advising them of any imminent dangers.
“What that means is a degradation in the service we provide, in particular the resiliency of the service,” Caleb explains. “There will be times where New Zealand’s monitoring will step backwards from a live monitoring system to an on-call system.”
He now lives and works in Rome, where he has taken up a role at the Italian National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology.
“To me, Government funded science and research exist to serve the public good, and understanding and responding to natural hazards does exactly that. The value of that work, and the lives it helps protect, can’t be judged solely through a dollar-value or a return-on-investment lens. Yes, there should be efficiencies – things like promoting collaboration – but cutting funding and pushing these essential public services into a commercialised approach is not how you deliver these services for New Zealand.
“As a Kiwi, I am hopeful that I will one day be able to come back to New Zealand and apply what I’ve learnt overseas in the natural hazards/tsunami space. To do that, I hope that a new Government would address these issues with science funding, and I could come back to a New Zealand with a strong science funding system in place.”
Save Science Coalition spokesperson and experimental physicist Ben Wylie-van Eerd says publicly funded science is crucial both economically and to New Zealand’s wellbeing as a nation.
“We know that investment into R&D works – so why are we risking turning off the tap?
“At the end of the day, we need scientists to do the work. New Zealand has an excellent education system that produces incredible talent. We need to look after these people and put them to work so we can grow and diversify the economy, increase our productivity, and become a more attractive place for global investment and collaboration.
“The stories in this report are personal for me – I was one of the many scientists made redundant because of these cuts. I came very close to having to leave New Zealand. I left once before as a young scientist chasing my dreams, but I came back home and I brought the skills and connections I made with me. If I had been forced to leave again, I doubt I would have come back a second time.
“Scientists want to see a new approach to science funding that doesn’t change each election and has ambition to raise us to the levels common in our peer nations. Science and research are too important for the long-term prosperity of New Zealand to ignore.”
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.
Defence News – Pacific co-operation: New Zealand Defence Force and Papua New Guinea
Source: New Zealand Defence Force
A Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) C-130J Hercules will deliver aid supplies to Papua New Guinea following the recent cyclone, while another New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) contingent has arrived in Port Moresby to carry out a range of activities with the country’s military and other agencies.
The C-130J left RNZAF Base Auckland this morning with humanitarian supplies provided by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to support Papua New Guinea’s response to Tropical Cyclone Maila.
Papua New Guinea and New Zealand authorities are working together to arrange distribution of the supplies to communities impacted by the severe weather event.
Yesterday, the Royal New Zealand Navy’s HMNZS Canterbury delivered two RNZAF NH90 helicopters and crew as well as personnel from the NZDF’s Deployable Joint Interagency Task Force (DJIATF), who specialise in working with partner agencies and nations to respond rapidly to unplanned and evolving events.
NZDF personnel will spend up to three weeks in Papua New Guinea, with the helicopter contingent focusing on professional integration and cooperation with the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF), and the DJIATF group collaborating with government agencies.
The RNZAF last deployed helicopters to train in Papua New Guinea in 2025 and Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, Major General Rob Krushka, said the NZDF appreciated the chance to work with the PNGDF again so soon.
“Canterbury’s planned passage to Singapore for maintenance has provided us with a welcome opportunity to move our NH90s, crew and DJIATF personnel to undertake another collaboration with the PNGDF,” he said.
“As a Pacific nation, New Zealand has a shared commitment to humanitarian aid and disaster responses, and regional security.
“Training with the PNGDF means we can continue to strengthen our trusted relationships, develop shared procedures and confirm the practical interoperability that’s required when we’re called to work together.
“We appreciate every opportunity to partner with Papua New Guinea.”
NZ Super Fund Response to High Court – GUARDIANS CONSIDERING RESPONSE TO JUDICIAL REVIEW
Source: Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation
The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, manager of the $90 billion New Zealand Superannuation Fund, is considering its response to a judicial review decision, published today, in which the High Court found certain parts of the Guardians’ current sustainable investment policy documents do not comply with legislative requirements.
In broad terms, the Court found that the relevant parts of the policy documents did not identify with sufficient clarity the standards and procedures the Guardians applies in order to invest the NZ Super Fund “in a manner consistent with avoiding prejudice to New Zealand’s reputation as a responsible member of the world community”.
Guardians CEO Jo Townsend said the Guardians was strongly committed to operating as transparently as possible.
“We recognise that we are investing on behalf of all New Zealanders, and that gives people a legitimate interest in how we manage the Fund.
“We will thoroughly evaluate today’s decision and determine how best to respond to it.”
Appointments – Watkins joins BusinessNZ as Director of Communications
Source: BusinessNZ
BusinessNZ has announced the appointment of Tracy Watkins, one of New Zealand’s most experienced and respected media operators, as its new Director of Communications.
Watkins joins BusinessNZ from Stuff Group, where she has been the Editor of The Post since 2023 and Editor of The Sunday Star-Times since 2019, and where she led the launch of The Post as a national news subscriber website, helping build it from the ground up.
Throughout her career, Watkins has been a force in New Zealand journalism.
Before editing The Post and Sunday Star-Times, she was Political Editor for Stuff Group and The Dominion Post from 2005-2019, and a long-standing reporter in the Parliamentary Press Gallery starting in 1997. She has won and been nominated for numerous media honours, and has been a Jefferson Fellow and an industry member of the New Zealand Media Council. In 2024, she was named Editorial Leader of the Year.
She says that after 40 years in daily journalism, the opportunity to champion the business sector was the perfect next challenge.
“It felt like the right time for a change. With the economy front and centre, the voice of business has never been more important.
“Being election year, there is no more critical time to ensure the business perspective is heard, and I am looking forward to taking on that challenge.
“A huge part of the attraction was working with BusinessNZ CEO Katherine Rich, who I have admired since her time in Parliament-she was a courageous MP, and I have huge respect for her.”
Katherine Rich welcomes Tracy’s appointment.
“Tracy is a heavyweight in the New Zealand media landscape, renowned for her sharp political insight and leadership. Her experience will be invaluable in developing our communications strategy as we advocate for a competitive and sustainable business and economic environment.
“We are thrilled to have someone of her calibre joining our team.”
Watkins steps into the role in July.
Energy Transitions – Support transition before we’re gone: Latest gas report calls for Govt assistance
Source: BusinessNZ
A new report is calling on all political parties to support a transition away from gas for commercial and industrial users, in the face of significant gas price increases and rapidly declining domestic production.
The BusinessNZ Energy Council (BEC) today released The need for Government assistance in the gas transition, which recommends Government explore concessionary loans for businesses to invest in new energy sources. (ref. https://bec.org.nz/category/resources/ )
Director of Advocacy Catherine Beard says it’s not a market failure.
“Successive governments have pursued a net-zero goal without a workable transition plan that keeps businesses and jobs intact. At the same time, BusinessNZ and BEC aren’t asking for open-ended subsidies or uncompetitive firms to be propped up. We want to see sharp, policy-driven transition in a way that protects jobs, production, and New Zealand’s economic base.”
Beard says New Zealand is already seeing de-industrialisation of manufacturers where the high cost of gas is adding to their struggle to remain competitive and profitable.
“The increased cost shock is making survival difficult for small and large businesses including manufacturers without some sort of transitional help.”
Businesses affected include critical sectors such as petrochemicals, fertilisers, manufacturing, wood processing, dairy processing, meat works and aluminium recycling. Alongside industrial gas users there are thousands of commercial users that are just as reliant, including bakeries, coffee roasters, greenhouses, breweries, restaurants, chocolate makers, hospitals, drycleaners, schools and wineries.
Beard says that combined these operations are estimated to generate $18-24 billion in GDP and support around 264,000 direct jobs.
“While Government has invested $200m to de-risk investment in new oil and gas exploration on the supply side, it is yet to support demand.
“There’s no point in having a surplus of energy supply in the future if there is no industry left to use it. Governments in Australia, the UK, the EU, Canada and Japan are mitigating these kinds of risks through various support mechanisms for industry to transition to renewables. New Zealand must follow suit.
“The alternative is avoidable closures, lost capability, and higher long-term costs to the economy.”
The latest BEC report, The need for Government assistance in the gas transition, is available on the website now: https://bec.org.nz/category/resources/
The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.
High Court Decision – PSNA says High Court Superfund decision a victory for Palestinian rights
Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)
The High Court in Auckland has found policies of the NZ Superfund are ‘unreasonable and unlawful’ and fail to properly address human rights issues, when the Fund considers excluding companies from its portfolio of investments.
The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa issued judicial review proceedings against the Superfund for its failure to divest its investment in Israeli companies which the UN says are complicit in the Israeli occupation of the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
The Court’s just released judgment found:
“The Guardian’s policies fail to meet the basic requirements of the Act (New Zealand Superannuation and Retirement Income Act 2001) so far as exclusion from the fund for alleged breach of human rights standards is concerned. They are unreasonable and unlawful. (para 86)[1]
The Guardians have a duty to reformulate the policy documents.
Once legally compliant policy documents are in place the Guardians will inevitably have to make decisions about the challenged investments in accordance with these policy documents. (para 102)”
“This is an important and timely win for Palestine”, says PSNA Co-Chair John Minto. “We are certain if the Superfund now does its job properly, it will quickly divest from the four companies it holds investments in which are on the United Nations Human Rights Council list of companies involved in building and maintaining illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT.”
“As things stand, the Superfund is raking in money from the most appalling breaches of international law by Israel in the OPT, that is Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.”
“New Zealanders expect the highest of standards from our leading sovereign wealth fund, which should be setting the benchmark for all New Zealand investment funds.”
“No New Zealander on national superannuation in the future wants to have money in their pocket made from Israel’s war crimes and massive human rights abuses of Palestinians in the OPT.
Minto says of extreme concern to PSNA, is the revelation from the judgment, that in June 2022, a year after the Fund had divested from five Israeli banks, it gutted its exclusions policy and removed all direct references to human rights standards.
In particular, the new abbreviated policy removed the reference to the human rights standard in the UN Global Compact. The High Court said the new policies are now
“materially less clear and specific than previous iterations and there is no practical benchmark for those applying the policy in relation to alleged breaches of human rights standards” (para 60)
The High Court judgment also says:
“The current policy documents no longer link exclusion directly to any human rights standards”
“This is beyond outrageous” says Minto. “Our largest sovereign wealth fund, owned by the government on behalf of the people of New Zealand, has no specific references to human rights standards in its investment exclusions policy.”
Previously the Fund used policy documents, such as the United Nations Global Compact, an internationally recognised investment guideline which specifically includes human rights standards.
“But it removed the Global Compact and gutted its policy of any other direct reference to human rights, after it had made a previous principled decision on the five Israeli banks.”
“Not only was the Superfund in breach of its statutory obligations, but it was setting an illegally based template for KiwiSaver schemes and major private companies, such as those who sell Israeli products here, such as Sodastream.”
“We don’t believe it is a coincidence that the Fund dropped the policy after heavy pressure from the pro-Israel lobby, following the divestment decision on the five Israeli banks which profit from funding illegal Israeli settlements.”
“The Superfund replaced a principled policy with an entirely vague and subjective assessment of companies which meant they could resist pressure from human rights groups such as PSNA. The Fund was entirely making up legal sounding excuses as it went. It meant they could now keep on their books other companies which abuse the human rights of Palestinians.”
“Opting out of policies, which the High Court found were meant to be a statutory requirement, appears to be a cowardly backdown to backdoor bullying, which is standard operating procedure by the pro-Israeli lobby everywhere in the world. The Fund’s obligation is to stand up against human rights abuses without fear or favour,” says Minto.
“The Superfund owes us all an apology – and in particular an apology to Palestinians here and in Palestine, whose suffering is helping pay the price of the Fund’s increasing wealth.”
John Minto
University Research – AI chatbot targets online safety and support for seniors – UoA
Source: University of Auckland (UoA)
Researchers are designing chatbots to help make life online safer and more welcoming for seniors.
New research, co-authored by Dr Jade Brooks (University of Auckland), led by Dr Yenni Tim (University of New South Wales) with Delen Zeng (Beijing Jiaotong University) and Joshua Huynh (AMP Limited), explores how properly designed tech can help older people feel safe, confident and included when they go online, not just able to use technology, but comfortable doing so.
The project, in partnership with a major Australian humanitarian organisation, focuses on senior citizens who increasingly rely on digital portals to access essential services such as healthcare, banking and government support. Many of these seniors live in rural areas, where in-person support is limited.
Traditionally, the organisation relied on caseworkers, often older volunteers themselves, to help people navigate online systems at home. However, an ageing population and rising demand are straining this model, says Brooks, a lecturer in information systems at the Business School.
To address this challenge, the research team co-designed an AI-powered chatbot.
Drawing on interviews with senior citizens, volunteer caseworkers, and staff from the partner organisation, the study identifies the limits of existing ‘digitally inclusive’ design and proposes a new concept: ‘socially inclusive design’.
“Socially inclusive design asks, does this technology help people feel they belong, that they can act independently, and that any concerns about safety are taken seriously,” says Brooks.
“The chatbot is intended to complement and, in some cases, relieve caseworkers' workload by guiding seniors step-by-step through online tasks, while also helping build skills and confidence over time.”
Tim, an associate professor at UNSW Business School, says the chatbot interface offers socially relevant and familiar interactions, making it feel trustworthy, personal, and reflective of users’ real-world social practices.
“We programmed supportive, reassuring, and adaptive settings that allow seniors to build confidence over time, enabling independent digital interactions.
“We also provided the system with positive feedback mechanisms and community-building features that encourage seniors to share experiences and develop a sense of belonging within its digital environments.”
Brooks, whose broader work examines digital inclusion and the changing nature of work, says the project is about more than making websites and apps accessible.
She says that while many older people are technically able to use online services, they often choose not to because they lack a sense of safety, confidence, or control.
Govt Cuts – Workers betrayed as MBIE breaks promise that automation won’t cost their jobs – PSA
Source: PSA
Loyal, long-serving workers at MBIE’s Tenancy Bond Services are feeling betrayed by plans to axe their entire team, despite being promised at the start of the automation project that there would be no job losses.
MBIE is proposing to disestablish 28 permanent roles with two new permanent roles created resulting in a net loss of 26 roles. 12 fixed term roles have already finished, with two new fixed roles to be created.
“These workers were told point blank when the automation project began that their jobs were safe. They kept the service running while the new system was being built around them, and now they’re being thrown on the scrap heap of unemployment when they have more to give. It’s a betrayal,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“How can you get buy in for automation projects from workers critical to any digital transformation when they are treated this way?”
The Tenancy Bond Modernisation Programme will shift more than 500,000 tenancy bond transactions each year from a manual, paper heavy process to a streamlined, self-service, digital experience for landlords, property managers and tenants.
Most workers will be gone by early July, with the remainder out the door by October. Consultation with staff is now underway with final decisions due to be announced 14 May.
The people impacted are tenancy bond officers, and operations and administration staff, some with decades of experience, having spent their entire working lives in Tenancy Bond Services.
“This is not how you treat people who have given decades of dedicated service. They cooperated with this project in good faith because they were told their jobs were secure. MBIE has broken that promise.
“The idea that a three-month transition with just five staff is enough to transfer decades of knowledge and experience is fantasy. MBIE is setting this up to fail.
“There are already long wait times for tenants and landlords dealing with bonds. MBIE’s own documents admit they expect a spike of more than 20 percent in calls and enquiries when the new system goes live. How will there be enough staff to handle that when the people who know the system have been shown the door?
“Staff have serious concerns the automation is not ready. Pushing ahead regardless, while planning to sack the very people who could keep things running, is reckless.
“Staff also worry that some communities facing barriers to digital access will be disadvantaged by a fully automated system.
“The PSA does not stand in the way of progress, but we won’t stand by while workers are misled. These people deserve better. They deserve the jobs they were promised, or at the very least genuine redeployment pathways, not empty words and a march to the exit,” Fitzsimons said.
The PSA is calling on MBIE to honour the commitment made to staff, extend the transition period, and provide meaningful redeployment opportunities for affected workers.
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.