Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

New research from Consumer NZ shows an overwhelming 96% of electric vehicle (EV) owners would buy another EV, confirming strong satisfaction among current owners.

Consumer has released findings from its latest car reliability and satisfaction survey, representing responses from 5,791 members and supporters collected in November and December 2025.

“This survey canvassed car owner experiences, providing insights into preferred engines, brand performance, reliability and overall owner satisfaction,” says Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy.

While petrol vehicles continue to dominate the nation’s roads, making up 59% of cars New Zealanders own, the landscape is shifting. The share of EVs and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) has grown from 12% in 2023 to 17% in 2025. Hybrid ownership has also risen significantly, increasing from 10% to 15% over the same period.

“This indicates a gradual but growing shift towards going electric on our roads,” says Duffy.  

Over half of EV owners made the switch with the anticipation of lower running costs, and 81% of current owners say their operating costs are much cheaper. Environmental considerations were also a key factor.

“Our research found that one of the more affordable electric vehicle brands ranked highly when it came to price and reliability, outstripping performance on some better-known petrol brands,” says Duffy.

However, despite 56% of EV owners wanting lower running costs, 29% kept the same power plan after buying an EV, even though they would now be using more energy.

“This highlights the importance of heading to Powerswitch to the find the best deal for your energy needs. There are significant savings to be made on power by shopping around,” says Duffy.

The survey also explored how drivers feel about vehicle safety technology. Reversing cameras and sensors topped the list as respondents’ most valued safety features, while lane-keeping assist was ranked the most annoying.

For more insights into New Zealand’s best and worst cars, including reliable motoring, owner satisfaction, maintenance and repair costs, and the recipients of Consumer NZ’s annual People’s Choice awards, see the full survey results at consumer.org.nz/products/ car-reliability  

10 March 2026, 3 pm – The repeal of a provision that allowed Inland Revenue (IRD) to conduct its research into the tax paid by high net worth individuals in 2023 is being criticised as a 'blow to tax transparency' by Tax Justice Aotearoa and the Better Taxes for a Better Future Campaign.

The Taxation (Annual Rates for 2025-26, Compliance Simplification and Remedial Measures) Bill was reported back from the Finance and Expenditure Committee yesterday, with the Government majority on the committee endorsing the repeal of s.17GB, which enabled IR to conduct the 2023 research that found the wealthiest 311 families in the country had an effective tax rate of 9.4%, compared to middle income earners who had an effective tax rate of just over 20%.

“This research was ground-breaking”, says Glenn Barclay, spokesperson for both Tax Justice Aotearoa and the Better Taxes.”It allowed us to see for the first time the extent of taxation inequality in Aotearoa NZ, reflecting the deep income and wealth inequality we have in this country, and its repeal will be a blow to tax transparency.”

“Other countries, which already have capital gains and wealth taxes, have access to this information as a matter of course, but here we needed this provision to shine a light on the impact the lack of taxes on wealth have on government revenue and the imbalances in our current tax system.”

Tax Justice Aotearoa was one of many organisations that argued for the provision to be maintained and is deeply disappointed that the Government majority didn't listen.

This was not the only blow to transparency in this Bill. The committee also confirmed the repeal of specific legislative provisions for trust disclosures. These sections make specific requirements for annual disclosures of information to IRD by all but certain exempted types of trusts.

“These general disclosure requirements on trusts are very important,” says Glenn Barclay. “Unlike the Register of Companies there is practically no public information available anywhere about who controls or might benefit from a trust, and given the significant amount of wealth held in trusts there is huge potential here for the wealthiest to minimise the tax they pay, while ordinary people pay tax on every dollar they earn.”

Given the importance of trusts in Aotearoa NZ and given the lack of a register of trusts and other disclosure requirements, the minimum disclosure requirements should remain in legislation.

Tax Justice Aotearoa and the Better Taxes Campaign calls on the Government to scrap these moves against tax transparency and ensuring the wealthiest pay their fair share.

Source: National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

When a tsunami could be on the way, warnings need to reach as many people as possible. A new initiative from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and MetService will ensure more New Zealanders are informed the moment a warning is issued.

MetService.com will now display an automated tsunami warning banner whenever NEMA issues a tsunami warning or advisory.

“Tsunami warnings only work if people see them and act on them, and we're pleased to be working with MetService to keep people safe,” says John Price, Director Civil Defence Emergency Management at NEMA.

“This will bring together NEMA and MetService’s large audiences, so New Zealanders are more likely to get the information they need, when they need it.”

This isn’t the first time NEMA and MetService have teamed up to help keep New Zealanders safe. In October 2025 the agencies partnered with digital out-of-home providers to automatically display MetService Orange and Red Severe Weather Warnings on billboards in affected areas.

“MetService’s purpose is to make weather intelligence easily accessible so New Zealanders can make informed decisions and stay safe,” said Kathryn Blackmore, Sales Manager at MetService.

“Working with NEMA allows us to support public safety in a way that goes beyond weather services.”

NEMA is now exploring how automated tsunami messaging could be shared on other government websites, helping ensure more people see these crucial warnings as soon as they take effect.

To learn more about what to do when a tsunami warning is issued, visit getready.govt.nz/emergency/tsunami

Business Canterbury welcomes the introduction of the Employment Leave Bill to Parliament – a long‑awaited and much‑needed replacement for the Holidays Act, which has been overly complex and unclear for decades.

Chief Executive Leeann Watson says, “The business community will be relieved to see progress on legislation that has been under formal review since 2018.”

“Businesses will be very pleased to see this Bill enter Parliament, and congratulations must go to the Government and Minister van Velden for taking a piece of legislation that has been stuck in review for years and delivering changes that will make it clearer and more workable for both employers and employees.

“The leave calculations in the Holidays Act required an advanced calculus degree to navigate, and too often left both employees and employers unsure about the fairest way to determine entitlements.

“Payroll legislation will always need to balance ease of use with fairness and practicality, but where the Employment Leave Bill has landed is lightyears ahead of the current Act. It removes another significant layer of red tape and will help businesses focus more firmly on growth and on employing more people.

“Moving to a pro‑rated minimum sick leave entitlement also removes an absurdity within the current law, where employees working fewer hours could receive disproportionately higher entitlements. It is not hypothetical, we regularly see situations where an employee working one or two days a week becomes entitled to five or even ten weeks of sick leave, which employers must cover to keep operating. That can come at the cost of being able to hire additional staff.

“As with the Holidays Act, the provisions in the new Bill set out minimum entitlements only. Employers will still be able to offer packages that go beyond the minimum requirements, and many already do.

“Continuity across political cycles will be important for employers. We look forward to confirmation from the Opposition that this Bill, given its two‑year implementation period, will be carried through if there is a change of Government after the 2026 Election.

“The Employment Leave Bill completes a key set of reforms the business community has long been calling for.

“This Bill finishes the trifecta of policy changes businesses asked for ahead of the last election: resource management reform, health and safety reform, and Holidays Act reform. We look forward to working with the Government on the next set of improvements that will best support businesses to grow and hire more people.”

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.

Consumer NZ delivered a petition to parliament today, signed by more than 10,500 New Zealanders, calling on the government to require airlines to tell passengers their rights when flights are delayed or cancelled.

The petition asks associate minister of transport, James Meager, to use existing powers in the Civil Aviation Act (CAA) to compel airlines to clearly inform passengers of their rights when a flight is disrupted.

Despite amendments made to the CAA last year, giving the minister the power to require airlines to inform passengers about their rights, no action has been taken.  

“Thousands of New Zealanders have told us they’re sick of being left in the dark,” says Consumer NZ chief executive Jon Duffy. “When a cancellation or delay is the airline’s fault, passengers have rights. The problem is that, unlike other jurisdictions, airlines don’t have to tell them. That’s unacceptable.

“Right now, there are passengers forking out hundreds of dollars for costs they incur as the result of a disruption, but often it’s the airline that should be covering the cost.”  

Passengers left without crucial information

Consumer’s research shows that:

four in ten people who flew in the past 2 years experienced a delay or cancellation

more than three quarters of travellers rely on the airline for information about their rights

nine in ten are not fully aware of what those rights actually are.

Airlines are not required to inform passengers whether a disruption was caused by an event within their control – information that directly affects whether a traveller can claim reimbursement.

“Disrupted passengers are being left out of pocket because they're not being given the information they need from their airline. Sometimes they are even actively misled,” says Duffy.

The issue was highlighted last year when Jetstar was fined $2.25 million for misleading passengers about their entitlements under the CAA.  

The Commerce Commission is also currently investigating whether Air New Zealand has breached the Fair Trading Act in its communications with passengers regarding their rights when flights are delayed or cancelled for reasons within the airline’s control.

A simple fix the minister can make now

Under the CAA, when a domestic flight disruption is caused by an event within an airline’s control – such as staffing, mechanical or operational issues – passengers are legally entitled to:

a refund (assuming they don’t accept another flight)

reimbursement of costs they’ve reasonably incurred because of the disruption – up to 10 times the cost of their ticket or the actual cost of the delay (whichever is lower).

Similar rules exist for international flight disruptions but differ depending on where you are flying from, where you’re heading and where the airline is based.

“The law is complex and most people don’t fully understand it. Over 10,500 people want airlines to tell them their rights when their flights are disrupted. The minister should not ignore them. He already has the power to fix this,” says Duffy.

Notes

Consumer NZ launched the petition in September 2022 after receiving a large volume of complaints from travellers who struggled to find out why their flight was disrupted and whether they were entitled to compensation.

In other countries – including those within the European Union – airlines must proactively tell passengers their rights. Consumer says New Zealanders deserve the same protections.

GenPro Chair Angus Chambers has welcomed changes to how first-year GP trainees are employed, saying any measure that encourages more doctors into general practice is positive.

“Access to a family doctor is the biggest challenge facing general practice and therefore our patients. Many practices across New Zealand are struggling to recruit doctors, and patients are seeing the consequences through longer wait times and reduced access to care.”

“Anything that increases the number of GPs entering the workforce is a good thing,” Chambers said.

However, Dr Chambers said the announcement represents a pipeline intervention rather than a solution to the workforce pressures currently facing general practice.

“This change may make it easier for some doctors to enter GP training, which is welcome. But it’s important to be clear that this is an HR improvement to the pipeline of junior doctors. It’s not a solution to the workforce shortages we are experiencing right now.”

Dr Chambers noted that even the current number of GP training places is not always fully taken up.

“We are still not seeing all the available GP training vacancies being filled each year. That should tell us something important about the attractiveness of general practice as a career.”
He said one of the key reasons is that incentives for general practice still lag behind those offered in many other medical specialties.

“Doctors are making rational career decisions. When other specialties offer stronger incentives or more secure career pathways, it’s not surprising many choose those options.”

Chambers said simply increasing the number of training places or changing who employs trainees i in their first year will not solve the problem.

“This is the third or fourth government that has listened to the Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners’ advice that increasing training places will fix the GP shortage. It won’t. It’s only one piece of a much bigger puzzle.”

He said the underlying issue continues to be the financial sustainability of general practice.

“The real pressure point is funding. The funding going into general practice has not kept pace with rising operating costs or the changing and increasingly complex medical needs of New Zealanders.

“Until we address the sustainability of general practice, it will remain difficult to attract and retain enough doctors to meet the needs of communities.
 
“After years of under investment by successive governments, general practice needs further increases in Health New Zealand capitation funding for it to stay viable. A similar increase to that delivered in Budget 2025 is needed in 2026,” Dr Chambers says.

He said GenPro looks forward to continuing to work with the Government on broader reforms to ensure primary care remains strong and accessible.

“Strengthening the pipeline matters, but we also need to make general practice a sustainable and attractive career for the doctors who will deliver care to New Zealanders in the decades ahead.”

GenPro members are owners and providers of general practices and urgent care centres throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. For more information visit  www.genpro.org.nz

Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa

PSNA has written to Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith today requesting proposed ‘move-on’ laws will specifically continue to allow free speech and the right to protest under the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act.

The approach to government comes in the wake of last week’s attempt by Christchurch City Councillor, Aaron Keown, to close down Palestine solidarity protests at Christchurch’s Bridge of Remembrance. 

As reported on Radio New Zealand Keown is insisting the police are keen to use the proposed new laws to shift protests on:

Keown said police told him months ago that they needed powers like the proposed move-on orders, which he believed would help disperse protesters.

Councillor Keown welcomed the newly announced move-on powers, which he believed would “absolutely help” disperse protesters, something Woods (Amnesty International director of advocacy and movement building Lisa Woods) said was of grave concern to Amnesty International.

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa’s Co-chair, John Minto says Keown’s statements contradict assurances made by senior police when a PSNA delegation met with them two weeks ago in Wellington to discuss increasing attacks on Palestine solidarity supporters by IDF soldiers and other elements of the pro-Israel lobby. 

“At the meeting police specifically told our delegation these ‘move-on’ orders would NOT be used to restrict protest rights.”

“So, there is a mass of confusion around over the proposed new law.”

“We need the Justice Minister to use clear wording, when he introduces legislation into Parliament, that anyone exercising their rights under the Bill of Rights Act will not be included.”

“We already have many laws which were introduced for a particular purpose, but which have been used to restrict the right to protest – for example trespass orders and ‘unlawful assembly’ provisions under the Crimes Act,” Minto says.

“New Zealanders rights to free speech and right to protest in public are under attack. Last year police and the Independent Police Conduct Authority colluded to propose legislation which would have required police permission to organise a protest”

“Authoritarian regimes the world over are putting heavy restriction on the right to protest. Many of them claim to be democracies.  It’s important we resist jack-boot policing here.”

John Minto

Co-Chair PSNA