Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is urging the New Zealand government NOT to follow Australia’s example with measures which would effectively criminalise the Palestine solidarity movement.
PSNA Co-chair John Minto says PSNA has no tolerance for anti-semitism in Aotearoa New Zealand, or anywhere else.
“But equally there should be no place for any other kind of racism, such as Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian racism. Our government must speak out against all forms of discrimination and support all communities when racism rears its ugly head. Let’s not forget the murderous attacks on the Christchurch mosques.”
Minto says the Australian measures will inevitably be used to criminalise the Palestinian solidarity movement across Australia.
“We see it happening in the US, to attack and demonise support for Palestinian human rights by the Trump administration. We see it orchestrated in the UK to shut down any speech which Prime Minister Starmer and the Israeli government don’t like.”
“undermining Australia’s democratic freedoms, inflaming community divisions, and entrenching selective approaches to racism that serve political agendas”
Minto says the free speech restrictions in the US, UK and Australia have nothing to do with what people usually understand as anti-semitism.
“The drive comes from the Israeli government. They see making anti-semitism charges as the most effective means of preventing anyone publicly pointing to the genocide its armed forces are perpetrating in Gaza.”
“The definition of anti-semitism, usually inserted into codes of ethics or legislation, is from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. The IHRA definition includes eleven examples. Seven of the examples are about criticising Israel.”
“It’s quite clear the Israeli campaign is to distract the community from Israel’s horrendous war crimes, such as the round-the-clock mass killing and mass starvation of Palestinians in Gaza, and deflect calls for sanctions against Israel.”
“Already we can see in both the UK and US, that people have been arrested for saying things about Israel which would not have been declared illegal if they’d said it about other countries, including their own.”
Minto says there are already worrying signs that the New Zealand government and New Zealand media and police are falling into the trap.
“Just over the past few weeks, there has been an unusually wide-ranging mainstream media focus on anti-semitism;
At least one opinion piece in the Stuff newspapers from NZ Jewish Council spokesperson Ben Kepes on anti-semitism here
A New Zealand Herald podcast featuring Holocaust Foundation spokesperson Deborah Hart. The Holocaust Foundation is partly funded by the Israeli Embassy.
An enthusiastic 1News item on the latest appeal to the government to adopt similar measures here to those taken in Australia (TVNZ One News 13 July 2025)
Stories highlighting anti-semitic graffiti in Wellington – numerous reports along these lines
However, our politicians and media have been silent about;
An attack which knocked a young Palestinian woman to the ground when she was using a microphone to speak during an Auckland march
An attack where a Palestine supporter was kicked and knocked to the pavement outside the Israeli embassy in Wellington. The accused was wearing an Israeli flag. He was not held in custody and the Post newspaper has reported neither the arrest nor the resulting charge (this case is due in court 15 July)
An attack on a Palestine solidarity marshal in Christchurch who was punched in the face, in front of police, but no action taken.
An attack in Christchurch when a Destiny Church member kicked a solidarity marshal in the chest (no action taken by police)
Anti-Palestinian racist attacks on the home of a Palestine solidarity activist in New Plymouth. One of our supporters has had their front fence spraypainted twice with pro-Israel graffiti and their car tyres slashed twice (4 tyres in total) and had vile defamatory material circulated in their neighbourhood. (The police say they cannot help)
The refusal of the Human Rights Commission to publicly correct false statements it published in the Post newspaper which claimed anti-semitism was increasing, when in fact the evidence it was using was that the rate of incidents had declined.
Minto says in each of the cases above there would have been far more attention from politicians, the police and the media had the victims been Israeli supporters.
“Meanwhile, both our government and the New Zealand Jewish Council have refused to condemn Israel’s blatant war crimes. There is silence on the mass killing, mass starvation and ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza. The Jewish Council and our government stand together and refuse to hold Israel’s racist apartheid regime to account in just about any way.”
“Adding to the clear perception of appalling bias on the part of our government, both the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, have met with New Zealand Jewish Council spokespeople over the war in Gaza.”
“But both have refused to meet with representatives of Palestinian New Zealanders, or the huge number of Jewish supporters of the Palestine solidarity movement.”
“New Zealand must stand up and be counted against genocide wherever it appears and no matter who the victims are.”
Electronic card transactions: June 2025 – information release
14 July 2025
The electronic card transactions (ECT) series cover debit, credit, and charge card transactions with New Zealand-based merchants. The series can be used to indicate changes in consumer spending and economic activity.
Key facts All figures are seasonally adjusted unless otherwise specified.
Values are at the national level and are not adjusted for price changes.
June 2025 month Changes in the value of electronic card transactions for the June 2025 month (compared with May 2025) were:
spending in the retail industries increased 0.5 percent ($32 million)
spending in the core retail industries increased 0.7 percent ($40 million).
Visit our website to read this information release and to download CSV files:
Attribution: Darren Mitchell, Executive Director – Ara Institute of Canterbury
Ara Institute of Canterbury welcomes the Government’s decision to re-establish Ara as a stand-alone institution from 1 January 2026.
This milestone reflects the strength of our financial position, the capability and resilience of our people, and the strategic changes we’ve made to ensure Ara is future-ready. It also recognises our proud legacy of delivering high-quality vocational education and training to the Canterbury region and beyond.
Our return to independence is more than a structural change; it’s a powerful endorsement of the value Ara brings to our communities and industries. It means we can be even more responsive to local needs, more agile in our decision-making and more focused on delivering the skills and innovation that power Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy.
For more than 120 years, Ara has been the cornerstone of vocational education and training in Waitaha Canterbury. As we look ahead, we remain dedicated to producing confident, work-ready graduates who will lead and uplift the industries and communities they serve.
This next chapter is made possible by the dedication of our kaimahi. Their unwavering commitment to our learners, our region and our shared future has laid the foundation for Ara to thrive as an independent institution once again, and we’re ready to move forward together.
Federated Farmers is calling for new proposed ‘green’ finance rules to be scrapped, warning they’re ideologically driven, unworkable, and risk doing real harm to rural communities.
In a letter sent to Ministers and key officials on July 11, the organisation outlined a series of serious concerns with the Sustainable Finance Taxonomy.
“This framework is fundamentally flawed,” Federated Farmers banking spokesperson Mark Hooper says.
“It has been created without meaningful input from working farmers, it imposes unrealistic standards, and it risks cutting off financial services to legitimate, productive rural businesses.”
TheSustainable Finance Taxonomyis being developed by the Centre for Sustainable Finance and the Ministry for the Environment to provide a consistent framework for defining what is ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ in financial markets.
Federated Farmers says it would create major risks for New Zealand’s agricultural sector and is urging the Government to halt the process entirely.
“One of our core concerns is the lack of practical farming expertise involved in developing the taxonomy,” Hooper says.
“There are no hands-on farmers involved with the Technical Advisory Group. Instead, it’s full of shiny-shoed bankers, sustainability advisors, and forestry lobbyists.
“If you're designing a finance framework for agriculture, farmers must be at the table. This is a total governance failure.”
Without real-world knowledge of farming systems, the framework fails to reflect the operational realities and sustainability efforts already embedded in New Zealand’s primary sector.
For example, the proposed taxonomy defines ‘green’ farming as producing less than one tonne of CO₂ equivalent per hectare per year.
“This threshold is so low that no working New Zealand farm could realistically qualify, even though we’re home to the most emissions-efficient food producers in the world,” Hooper says.
Covering period of Monday 14th – Thursday 17th – We’ve woken to a warmer, cloudier and foggier morning across the country today (Monday). Showers about the west will continue to ease, with cloudy areas in the east becoming fine. The snow has been topped up over the South Island so for those that aren’t back at work or school, it could be beautiful blue bird conditions on the slopes this afternoon.
This settling trend isn’t long lived as a quick moving rain band approaches from the west tomorrow (Tuesday) morning. It brings a period of heavy rain and showers to western and northern areas of the country. Thunderstorms are possible about Taranaki up to Northland, as well as Coromandel and coastal Bay of Plenty. MetService Meteorologist Katie Hillyer says, “The silver lining is that this rain band and the showers will move too quickly to allow the accumulations to climb very high, but we’ll need to keep an eye out for the wind gusts as they move through”. A background of strong winds, combined with fast moving features could bring very strong, 80-100km/hr, gusts to Northland and Auckland in the morning and afternoon. By the end of Tuesday, the rain band will be moving off the county and the showers in behind will have eased.
As the temperatures drop a bit behind the rainband, the winds will have a cold bite to them, and we will feel a return to more normal winter temperatures. Hillyer advises, “Snow to 700 metres is possible in the south of the South Island, so those that are travelling should keep an eye out for Road Snow Warnings and stay up to date with information from NZTA-Waka Kotahi”.
Wednesday is generally an easing trend across the country, but toward the end of the day we get a bit of a split in the situation. Overnight Wednesday and into Thursday, areas such as Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Waikato, and Bay of Plenty will see a quick moving low cross the region, bringing rain, likely to be heavy at times. Further south, there will be showers about coastal areas in the southwest of the country such as the West Coast Region, as well as Southland, but otherwise lots of sun to fight the colder temperatures.
Please keep up to date with the most current information from MetService at MetService – Te Ratonga Tirorangi
The Total Mobility scheme will be operating in Kaitaia from Monday 14 July. The operator is Driving Miss Daisy, and the scheme is administered by Northland Regional Council with funding from NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi and Far North District Council.
Total Mobility is a nationwide scheme that provides a transport subsidy to help people with disabilities stay connected within their community. The scheme is already available in Whangārei and other areas in the Mid and Far North where there is an approved Transport Operator.
If you have a disability that prevents you from using public transport, you could be eligible for a 75% subsidy (up to a maximum of $45) on authorised door-to-door transport to help you get around.
To be enrolled on the scheme you must have an eligibility assessment. To discuss contact the Total Mobility team at Northland Regional Council on 0800 002 004. For more information on the Total Mobility scheme:https://www.nrc.govt.nz/transport/total-mobility/LEARN TO WIPE OUT NORTHLAND’S WORST WEEDS AT FREE WORKSHOPS
Northlanders keen to join the fight to tackle the region’s worst weeds can learn how at Northland Regional Council’s free weeds workshops next month.
Council’s pest plant expert will be sharing tips at a series of workshops in Kaitaia, Russell, Kerikeri, Maungaturoto, and Whangārei from Monday 04 August to Friday 08 August.
The workshops are hands-on and delivered in a relaxed and fun way to help people learn how best to tackle a wide variety of nasties, including wild ginger, lantana, moth plant, Taiwan cherry and privet.
Spaces are limited. Those wanting to attend should register atwww.nrc.govt.nz/weedsworkshopsor contact Biosecurity Specialist Sara Brill on freephone 0800 002 004.
Karyn Fenton-Ellis has been appointed to the Board of the Broadcasting Standards Authority and current member John Gillespie has been reappointed.
The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA) is an independent Crown entity that receives and determines complaints from people dissatisfied with the outcome of complaints made to broadcasters about the standards on television and radio. The BSA also encourages the development and observance by broadcasters of codes of broadcasting practice appropriate to the type of broadcasting undertaken by them.
“These appointments ensure a well-balanced board with an appropriate mix of skills and experience. The appointments are made by the Governor-General on the advice of the Minister for Media and Communications, Hon Paul Goldsmith,” says Secretary for Culture and Heritage, Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae.
“Karyn Fenton-Ellis, of Waikato, has had a 26-year broadcasting career, with a particular focus on the racing industry. She received the NZTR Media Award in 2012 and was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2014 for services to the community, the arts, and to racing. Ms Fenton-Ellis has been appointed as the public interest member on the Board.
“Ms Fenton-Ellis provides strengths in strategic awareness and a high-level understanding of key stakeholder communications. She has a good understanding of Crown governance and has good knowledge of the sector and the role of the BSA.
“John Gillespie of Auckland is a communications professional with 30 years of sector experience and a considerable career in executive leadership. He was the Head of News and Current Affairs at TVNZ from 2013 to 2020. Mr Gillespie holds the ‘broadcasting industry’ position on the board.
“We would like to acknowledge and thank departing board member Pulotu Tupe Solomon-Tanoa’i for her contribution to the BSA. Tupe has been on the board since December 2021”, Leauanae says
The appointment for Ms Fenton-Ellis is until 31 May 2028 and Mr Gillespie’s appointment is until 31 May 2029.
Bios
Karyn Fenton-Ellis
Karyn Fenton-Ellis of Waikato is a licensed syndicator with New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing. She was one of the inaugural presenters for both TAB Trackside Television and TAB Trackside Radio.
Ms Fenton-Ellis hosted the Retro, Weigh-In and First Call programmes, as well as being a studio presenter in a broadcasting career stretching 26 years. She co-hosted the Karaka Premier Sale television coverage for 10 years and was MC for the Horse of the Year Awards on many occasions. She was presented with the New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing (NZTR) Media Award in 2012 and was appointed as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2014 for services to the community, the Arts, and to racing.
Ms Fenton-Ellis is a former World Chairman and President of Junior Chamber of Commerce International, former member of the Arts Council, trustee of the New Zealand Arts Foundation, and board member of the Christchurch Arts Festival. She won the World Public Speaking Contest in 1989 and was also the recipient of a rare Trinity College of London Exhibition Award.
John Gillespie
John Gillespie of Auckland is a communications professional with 30 years sector experience and a considerable career in executive leadership. He was the Head of News and Current Affairs at TVNZ from 2013 to 2020 and also held roles as the Executive Producer of Fair Go and Head of News for Canterbury Television. Mr Gillespie has extensive knowledge of the broadcasting sector with a particular focus on news and current affairs. He has knowledge of the BSA and media law, and is committed to listening, learning and leading with courage, tenacity and a deep sense of values.
Mr Gillespie holds the ‘broadcasting industry’ position on the board.
Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry has announced that the Riverbank Market will relocate to Dowse Square and the surrounding Civic Precinct next year, while major construction work takes place
The market has been a fixture of Lower Hutt’s week
More than 1000 PSA members working at ACC are to strike in support of fairer pay.
Members voted overwhelmingly to take strike action in response to an unacceptable pay offer that would see more than 160 workers, often women, earning less than the living wage.
Strike action will start with a one-hour withdrawal of labour from 11am to noon on Wednesday 16 July. Further action is planned for Wednesday 6 August.
“The strike vote reflects a failure by ACC to bring a meaningful increase for poorly paid predominantly female workers to the table,” says Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons.
The Accident Compensation Corporation has 318 workers currently earning less than the living wage. The current offer will still leave 166 earning less than the living wage.
ACC is offering a pay increase of between zero and 2% for staff earning the midpoint of their pay band or above, regardless of how low the pay band is.
“This leaves many low paid workers stuck in a cycle where their wages are eroded by inflation and they keep falling below what is a fair wage for what they do,” Fitzsimons says.
“As a result, many ACC workers are earning less than they need to live with dignity and the ability to earn enough to cover more than just the absolute basics.”
“The broader context is that ACC does not pay many of its staff well, and this latest pay offer does not address this issue, or recognise the efforts of loyal, long-serving staff, who will be above the midpoint of their band.
“Making matters worse low paid ACC administrative staff had their pay equity claim extinguished when the Government amended the pay equity law in May,” Fitzsimons says.
The work of the striking ACC staff includes: Recovery, Coordinators, Recovery Partners, Administrators, Clinical Advisors, Cover Assessors and Customer Experience Representatives.
“The PSA and ACC will enter into mediation today (Monday 14 July)and we hope this will result in a better offer for these workers,” Fitzsimons says.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahiis Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health, and community groups.
New Zealanders are once again facing the challenge of cleaning up and recovering after another round of severe weather, particularly across the upper North and South Islands.
“This is tough for communities that had just beginning to get back on their feet after recent major storms,” said Kris Faafoi, Chief Executive of the Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihui o Aotearoa (ICNZ).
“We encourage people to begin the recovery process safely and as soon as they're able. We understand that not everyone can lodge an insurance claim immediately.
“It’s important to note that any new damage from this latest weather event will require a separate insurance claim.”
To support affected residents, Nelson-Tasman Emergency Management has re-established a community information centre at the Motueka Rec Centre on Old Wharf Road. Insurance sector contacts will be available through the centre to provide assistance.
“While it’s important to contact your insurer as soon as you can, don’t delay necessary steps to prevent further damage if it’s safe to act,” Kris Faafoi said.
To help speed up recovery and keep people safe, ICNZ recomm
