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Electronic card transactions: October 2025 – Stats NZ information release
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Net migration gain of 12,400 – International migration: September 2025 – Stats NZ news story and information release
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Health – Productivity Commission final report – Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement Review
Source: National Mental Health Commission
13 November 2025 – The National Mental Health Commission (the Commission) has welcomed the release of the final report of the Productivity Commission’s review of the National Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreement (the National Agreement).
The report contributes to improving how governments can work together now and in the future for person-centred, integrated mental health care and suicide prevention in Australia.
It makes recommendations for the National Agreement that aim to enhance the effectiveness, accessibility, affordability and safety of the mental health and suicide prevention system.
The Commission provides an Annual National Progress Report on the implementation of the National Agreement, which has contributed to the review findings. The Productivity Commission made recommendations to improve monitoring and progress reporting on the National Agreement, to better meet the needs of local decision makers, service providers and consumers.
CEO of the Commission, David McGrath, said, “we welcome recommendations to strengthen the National Agreement to better support people experiencing mental health challenges and suicidal distress.”
“We look forward to working with the key stakeholders, including the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, state and territories, and sector stakeholders regarding the future arrangements stemming from the review’s findings.”
“The Commission welcomes the call for the current Agreement to be extended until June 2027 to allow sufficient time to co-design changes to improve outcomes,” said Mr McGrath.
The Commission and National Suicide Prevention Office provided a joint response to the Productivity Commission’s review in March. Read the submission on our website: http://www.mentalhealthcommission.gov.au/nspo/publications/productivity-commission-submission-mental-health-and-suicide-prevention-agreement-review
Greenpeace – Winston Peters and NZ First Hand Victory to ACT over Corporate Bill of Rights
Source: Greenpeace
Despite ACT failing to pass three earlier versions of the Regulatory Standards Bill, they have succeeded passing it into law today, due to the backing of NZ First and the National Party.
“With one vote, Winston Peters has undermined his and NZ First’s entire legacy,” says Greenpeace campaigner Gen Toop. “Today, he helped pass a law that sells Aotearoa and its people out to foreign corporations to use and abuse.”
The new Regulatory Standards Act creates an unprecedented expectation that the Crown compensates corporations if environmental or public interest laws impact their property rights. It also creates a set of controversial “principles” which lawmakers must follow.
Greenpeace warns that this will open the door to multinational corporations demanding payouts for laws that protect Aotearoa’s drinking water, wildlife, and environment.
“The Regulatory Standards Act is a corporate bill of rights, designed to ensure that from now on the Government will be forced to serve corporate interests instead of people, nature, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” says Toop
“Clean drinking water, safe food and a liveable climate should never be made subservient to the so-called property rights of corporations.
“But, thanks to NZ First, from today multinational corporations will expect New Zealanders to hand over their taxpayer money whenever the government takes even the most basic steps to protect workers, people or the environment,” says Toop.
The bill was highly controversial, attracting 159,000 submissions, with over 98% opposed to it. It was also condemned by several government agencies, with the Ministry for the Environment issuing a stark warning:
“We consider that core aspects conflict with the fundamental principles of the environmental management system, posing risks to the health, safety, economic, social, and environmental interests of current and future New Zealanders.”
“David Seymour might have got his dangerous corporates-first law passed today but civil society in Aotearoa is not going anywhere. We are undeterred and we will continue to defend nature and Aotearoa from corporate exploitation,” says Toop.
During the reading of the bill into law the Labour Party restated their commitment to repeal the Regulatory Standards Act in the first 100 days of a Labour-led government.
Economy – Reserve Bank welcomes Government response to FEC banking inquiry
Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ)
13 November 2025 – The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) welcomes the Government's formal response to the recent Finance and Expenditure Committee (FEC) inquiry into banking competition.
“As the Government response notes, some of the FEC recommendations are directed to areas where The Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua is the decision maker,” said Angus McGregor, Acting Assistant Governor of Financial Stability.
“We see a stable, competitive and efficient banking system as a vital part of a healthy economy and we are pleased that we have already made progress on many of the FEC's recommendations.”
Key parts of the RBNZ's ongoing work programme highlighted in the Government's response include the in-progress review of capital settings; consultation on the use of the term 'bank'; and leading the development of a payments modernisation strategy as a part of our Future of Money and Payments work.
Recently completed work includes establishing a Financial Policy Committee to make key financial stability decisions; reducing the minimum capital requirement for deposit takers from the current $30m to $5m when the Deposit Takers Act comes into force; expanding access to our settlement systems; and published guidelines for managing climate related risks.
“We have noted the request from FEC for regular progress updates and look forward to contributing to that process. We are also looking forward to working with our fellow regulators and Treasury to continue to promote a financial system that supports a productive economy and the wellbeing of all New Zealanders,” said Mr McGregor.
Defence News – RNZAF returns to Fiji and takes opportunity to show MC-12K King Air capability to Tongan military
Source: New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)
A return trip to Fiji for maritime patrols by the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) MC-12K King Air has provided a further opportunity to demonstrate the aircraft’s ability to operate in the South West Pacific region.
Aircrews on the MC-12K King Air regularly provide maritime patrols to detect and deter illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone.
Earlier this year, an MC-12K King Air flew to Fiji in what was a first for RNZAF’s No 42 Squadron deploying the aircraft to the South West Pacific region.
The aircrew worked in support of the Fijian Maritime Essential Services Centre, conducting patrols searching for IUU fishing and also pleasure craft activity in Fijian waters as Fijian authorities strive to combat transnational organised crime in their region.
On the aircraft’s second deployment to Fiji, patrols were carried out in various locations including a small island chain approximately 150 nautical miles south of Nausori, and also over an area of approximately 9500 square kilometres spanning Yasawa to Kia Island.
The recent return to Fiji enabled the aircrew to also demonstrate the aircraft’s capabilities to neighbouring Tonga. At the end of the Fijian operation, the crew and aircraft departed for its first visit to Tonga, and took two members of His Majesty’s Armed Forces, with experience in maritime surveillance operations, on board as the aircraft patrolled in the vicinity of Pangai Island in the Ha’apai group.
Air Component Commander, Air Commodore Andy Scott, said it was great to build on the success of the first deployment with another into the region.
“The South West Pacific provides an excellent operating environment for our crews and enhances the strong partnerships between New Zealand and our friends in the region.”
Squadron Leader Craig Graham, who was the detachment commander for the deployment, said the return visit to Fiji was also important for the crew as it provided an opportunity for more junior pilots to step up. Flight Lieutenant Jamie Hull deployed on both operations captaining patrols in Fiji and the international transit flights back to New Zealand.
Squadron Leader Graham said Flight Lieutenant Hull had only been flying in the MC-12K King Air for two years and this deployment provided an opportunity for him to gain valuable experience by leading his crew on a complex operation.
Consumer NZ – Online dark designs have cost New Zealanders millions
Source: Consumer NZ
Consumer NZ research reveals one in three shoppers spend more than intended due to manipulative online design tactics.
New Zealanders are being tricked into spending more and cancelling less, according to new research from Consumer NZ, exposing the invisible influence of ‘dark patterns’- deceptive digital design tactics used to manipulate consumer behaviour.
From hidden fees and “only one left!” scarcity cues to countdown timers and endless subscription traps, dark patterns are manipulating the choices of online shoppers, costing them time and hitting their back pockets.
The nationally representative research found that one in three New Zealanders spend more than they intended to online because of dark patterns, while nearly one-quarter say they’ve kept a subscription longer than they wanted to due to confusing or obstructive cancellation processes.
“The implications are huge. It would be conservative to say that dark patterns cost New Zealanders millions. Unfortunately, these tactics often fall into a legal grey area – exposing a major regulatory gap,” says Chris Schulz, Consumer’s senior investigative journalist.
Dark patterns include design tricks such as:
pre-ticked boxes that automatically add extras to your cart
scarcity warnings like “only one left at this price”
hidden fees that appear only at checkout, hiking the advertised price
hard-to-find cancellation buttons or multi-step unsubscribe processes
confirmshaming messages that guilt consumers into staying subscribed (with wording like: “No thanks, I’d love to stay penniless” or “Do you like wasting money?”).
The impact of these patterns is widely felt, with 93% of New Zealanders saying they had encountered scarcity cues like “only three tickets left at this price”, while three out of four people had discovered hidden fees at the checkout.
HelloFresh – a case study in confusion
Consumer asked research participants to cancel a HelloFresh subscription. The five-step process took several minutes to complete, and participants encountered a variety of dark patterns along the way. One person told Consumer that trying to unsubscribe was such a woeful experience, she wouldn’t touch the business again with a barge pole.
“Given how frustrating it can be to cancel a subscription like HelloFresh, we weren't surprised to find that one-quarter of New Zealanders kept a subscription longer than they intended to because of a dark pattern,” says Schulz.
Need for regulatory change
“Dark patterns are omnipresent with the online shopping experience. In 2024 alone, New Zealanders spent $6 billion online. To mitigate the threats posed by dark patterns, we’d like to see prioritisation of a general ban on unfair trading and strengthening of our privacy laws. Aotearoa is currently unchecked and unregulated, and it’s New Zealanders who are paying the price,” says Schulz.
“We’re already behind the eight ball compared with other countries. The European Union, United Kingdom, United States and Australia have introduced or are developing frameworks to address unfair online trading practices. Our research has revealed the majority of New Zealanders want better rules or enforcement around appropriate use of dark patterns (53%), with nearly half wanting industry standards (49%).
“We wouldn’t tolerate a physical store blocking the exit until you bought something. We shouldn’t accept the digital equivalent either.”
Dark patterns are bad for shoppers and businesses
While dark patterns may drive a business' short-term profits or boost data collection, Consumer warns they erode long-term trust.
Eight in ten New Zealanders believe companies using dark designs are putting profits before people, with many saying they now avoid brands that manipulate them online.
“If your product’s good, you don’t need sneaky tactics,” one research participant told Consumer. “I’d rather walk away than feel tricked.”
Notes
Read the full report on Consumers website: https://consumernz.cmail20.com/t/i-l-znyhkt-ijjdkdttjk-y/
Asia NZ Foundation – New Report Sheds Light on How Southeast Asia Sees New Zealand
Source: Asia New Zealand Foundation
The Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono has released new research exploring how informed voices across Southeast Asia perceive New Zealand’s foreign policy and international standing.
The Southeast Asian Perceptions of New Zealand report surveyed 200 Southeast Asian experts in international affairs with a working knowledge of New Zealand and its foreign policy from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. The findings show that New Zealand enjoys an excellent reputation and is seen as principled, trustworthy and genuinely independent in its approach.
The new report is the first of its kind undertaken by the Foundation and complements the Foundation’s annual New Zealanders’ Perceptions of Asia and Asian Peoples survey which provides insights for researchers, government officials and the public on how New Zealand views Asia and its people.
Asia New Zealand Foundation Chief Executive Suzannah Jessep says the new research helps New Zealand see itself through the eyes of its closest Southeast Asian neighbours.
“After years of asking New Zealanders how they view Asia and its cultures, we wanted to flip the script and ask how Southeast Asian countries see us,” says Jessep.
She adds that the research provides valuable insights at a time when New Zealanders feel increasingly connected to the region and our engagement with Southeast Asia is deepening.
“New Zealanders increasingly view Southeast Asia as a close and trusted part of our region – and it’s equally important that we understand how our neighbours perceive us. That understanding helps us strengthen relationships, tailor engagement and have a more informed public conversation about Asia,” she says.
Respondents describe New Zealand as a friend or close friend to their countries, and as a like-minded partner in several key areas. They see broad alignment with New Zealand on economic and security priorities, though somewhat different in political and governance ideals.
While perceptions were overwhelmingly positive, respondents expressed a desire for New Zealand to take a stronger and more visible stance on global issues such as trade, climate change and maritime security.
Respondents also indicated a strong appetite for deeper cooperation between Southeast Asia and New Zealand in areas such as education, reflecting the sense that New Zealand’s efforts in the region are valued and make a tangible impact.
“New Zealand is seen as investing wisely in the region and the appetite for partnership is there- particularly on shared global challenges, where New Zealand’s credibility and capability are recognised,” says Dr Julia Macdonald, the Foundation’s Director of Research and Engagement.
As New Zealand’s relationships across Southeast Asia continue to strengthen, the findings reinforce that the country’s reputation in the region is both positive and valuable, but at the same time, expectations are rising as regional challenges evolve.
“Our Southeast Asian partners value what New Zealand brings. They see us as a constructive, values-driven country whose voice is worth listening to, which is an encouraging message as we continue to grow our engagement with the region,” says Jessep.
Report Launch Event in Wellington
The Asia New Zealand Foundation will be hosting a report launch event in collaboration with the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs (NZIIA) on Thursday, 13 November from 5:30pm – 7:00pm at Government Building Lecture Theatre 1 (GLBT1), Victoria University, Pipitea Campus.
Dr. Julia Macdonald, Director Research and Engagement, will present key findings. Followed by a panel discussion with Prof. David Capie, Kenneth Leong and Prof. Jason Young.
The event is open to the public. Event link: https://events.humanitix.com/southeast-asian-perceptions-of-new-zealand-report-launch
About the research
The Southeast Asian Perceptions of New Zealand research was conducted by Blackbox Research in Singapore between 16 and 26 May 2025, surveying 200 experts (50 each from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines) aged 31-70, all with working knowledge of New Zealand and its foreign policy. Sixty percent have more than six years of experience in international affairs, and none have lived in New Zealand for more than five years.
Transporting New Zealand supports amendments to RUC legislation but not tolling legislation
Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
National road freight association Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is cautiously supporting the Land Transport (Revenue) Amendment Bill introduced to Parliament today, which makes changes to the Road User Charges Act 2012 to modernise the system in preparation for transitioning all vehicles to universal RUC.
However, Transporting New Zealand is concerned about other proposals in the Bill which will enable existing roads to be tolled, and the ability to prohibit heavy vehicles from using certain roads and force them onto toll roads or face a penalty.
Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says the organisation supports moves to facilitate universal RUC. “These changes will enable greater use of technology and more flexible payment options, and also do away with the requirement to display a RUC label. This will help get our RUC system match-fit to enable tech businesses to offer low-cost products that could be rolled out to the petrol vehicle fleet in the future.”
No date has yet been set for the transition to universal RUC which Kalasih says is a significant undertaking, but essential to ensuring the transport system is sustainably funded.
Kalasih says Transporting New Zealand thinks we need to be much more cautious about other clauses in the Bill relating to tolling, particularly tolling existing roads.
“I accept that can bring forward raising the revenue to construct a new road but we’d like to see some constraints around that. Existing roads have already been paid for by road users through petrol tax and diesel Road User Charges for example, so if this approach was to progress we’d like to see that other options, like PPPs, have first been fully explored before tolling existing roads. We’d also need to have certainty that all the money that’s collected from roads is spent on roads.”
“Worse though, is a clause that could prohibit heavy vehicles from using alternative free routes, and force them onto tolled roads or else face a fine. That is fundamentally denying transport operators and drivers freedom of choice.” Kalasih said.
Kalasih says that while Transporting New Zealand will be fully supporting the clauses in the Bill relating to RUC, it will be making sure that the risk of unintended and perverse outcomes from the changes to road tolling are well thought through.
About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand
Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter-regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.
Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4,700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion.