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World Vision – First ever Australasian business forum focused on human rights a wake-up call for NZ

Source: World Vision

Hundreds of business leaders from across New Zealand and Australia are this week attending the inaugural United Nations Business and Human Rights Regional Forum in Melbourne to learn more about ethical and responsible business practices.

World Vision New Zealand is jointly hosting the forum which will feature keynote speakers, including former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, the OECD’s Allan Jorgensen, Meta's Miranda Sissons, and leading businesses such as Australia’s BHP.
 
The Forum is the largest regional gathering ito explore the intersection of business and human rights and aims to help businesses adopt responsible commercial practices at a time of increasing global turbulence.   It will cover issues from modern slavery in supply chains, responsible use of AI, and the human rights impacts of climate change.
 
World Vision’s Head of Advocacy and Justice, Rebekah Armstrong, says the forum is a wake-up call for New Zealand which risks falling behind on global standards for corporate accountability.
 
She says Australia is already taking bold steps, including introducing modern slavery laws in 2018, appointing two Anti-Slavery Commissioners, and most recently naming an Ambassador to Counter Modern Slavery, People Smuggling, and Human Trafficking.
 
“Here in New Zealand, we are falling further and further behind Australia.  We don’t even have a law to report on or mitigate modern slavery in our supply chains; we have no independent commission or body to provide oversight on modern slavery; and we have no formal protections or support for victims-survivors.  We are not operating in the 21st Century,” she says.
 
Armstrong says the Forum comes at a pivotal moment for New Zealand in which two Modern Slavery Bills are currently in the parliamentary private members’ ballot. In addition, long-overdue amendments to the Crimes Act to strengthen the trafficking in persons framework were recently announced by the Minister of Justice.
 
“This Forum is a chance for New Zealand voices to be heard on the global stage, but more importantly, it’s an opportunity for New Zealand business leaders to learn, be inspired, and to bring back the insights we need to drive respect for human rights in business here at home.”
 
Armstrong says the Forum’s agenda reflects the growing consensus that voluntary measures are no longer enough to address human rights concerns.

“The challenges in this area are only growing and we need business and government to take action to address them.  From child labour in cocoa supply chains to the climate impacts of fossil fuels, Kiwi businesses are linked to serious human rights risks. Where the international rules-based order is under threat, business’ ability to do good, respect human rights and stand in the gap is incredibly important,” she says.
 
Armstrong says she is disappointed there is no New Zealand government representative at the Forum, whereas the Australian government will be represented by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia’s National Contact Point, as well as Anti-slavery Commissioners and Ambassadors.
 
She says New Zealand businesses and others can email New Zealand MPs to push for the introduction of modern slavery legislation here: www.wvnz.org.nz/act-now  
    
 
Notes:  
 

  • World Vision New Zealand is a co-organiser of the Forum alongside the UN Global Compact Network Australia, the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights, RMIT Business and Human Rights,Macquarie University B&HR Access to Justice Lab, and UNSW Australian Human Rights Institute. 
  • The UN Business and Human Rights Forum: Australia and New Zealand runs 26–27 August 2025 in Melbourne.
  • Leading New Zealand academics, business leaders, and civil society representatives, including former Prime Minister Helen Clark, Professor Gail Pacheco, Valmaine Toki, Rebecca Kingi, Claire Charters, and Fleur Fitzsimmons
  • More information on the Forum can be found at: https://unbhrforumanz.org/ 
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Gaza – Children starved in plain sight as famine confirmed in Gaza – Save the Children

Source: Save the Children

At least 132,000 children aged under five in Gaza are at risk of death from acute malnutrition as new data confirms famine in Gaza Governorate and warns this is likely to spread in the coming weeks, Save the Children said.
The famine classification comes as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) also reported that over half a million people in Gaza, about half of whom are children, are facing catastrophic hunger, the worst-case IPC Phase 5.
This is the first time a famine has officially been confirmed in the Middle East region.
According to the latest report, acute malnutrition is projected to worsen rapidly, with the number of children under five in Gaza at risk of death between now and June 2026 having doubled since May.
As Israel’s military offensive in northern Gaza intensifies, hundreds of thousands of people will be forcibly displaced south, including to Deir Al-Balah and Khan Younis, where famine is expected to be classified by the end of September.
Save the Children New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Heather Campbell said:
“The world has been watching as children have suffered the unthinkable for nearly two years in Gaza, and now, we have confirmation that hundreds of thousands are being slowly starved to death. None of us should accept this.
“All of Gaza is being systematically starved by design, and children are paying the highest price. The world has failed to act as their tiny, emaciated bodies have been overcome by hunger and disease and shut down. This engineered famine is the ultimate and inevitable result of the Government of Israel’s use of starvation as a weapon of war. The sustained siege on food, medicine and fuel was bound to lead to this preventable catastrophe. There is no world leader who did not know this was coming, who hasn’t been warned again and again.
“A trickle of aid in recent days is a drop in the ocean only and serves to show the Government of Israel could end the food shortages whenever they choose and stop famine from spreading to other parts of Gaza. Our teams can save more lives and bring more children back from the precipice as soon as aid flows are restored.
“But many effects of famine cannot be reversed, especially for children. The death and loss, the physical and mental harm, will last lifetimes and even generations. Our health and nutrition teams are overloaded amid the tide of hunger and disease even while treating hundreds of malnourished children each month. In the first two weeks of August, well over half of pregnant women and new mothers screened at our clinics were malnourished – nearly seven times higher than before the siege began in March. Malnourished mothers are more likely to give birth to smaller babies, perpetuating a cycle of malnutrition that can affect future generations. Palestinian children are their society’s future – and that future, and theirs, has been irrevocably undermined.
“Famine means there are no more breaking points and no more alarm bells. The Government of Israel must immediately end the use of starvation as a weapon of war and lift the siege of the Gaza Strip, allowing aid including food and nutrition supplies into Gaza at the scale required, and restore electricity, fuel and water.
“And the international community must finally take every possible step to stop the Government of Israel from intentionally starving children and families in Gaza.”
Notes 
  • In the first two weeks of August, 61% of pregnant women and new mothers screened at Save the Children’s clinics have been found to be malnourished, nearly seven times higher than the rate in the first two weeks of March (9%), before aid and goods were almost completely cut off.
  • Doctors in Save the Children health clinics are seeing around 100 patients a day, double the number of their recommended caseload.
  • Save the Children has been unable to get any of its own aid into Gaza since 2 March and has 45 trucks-worth of aid including medicines, shelter items and hygiene kits waiting in warehouses.
  • Save the Children is responding to the famine crisis in Gaza in our two primary healthcare clinics in Khan Younis and Deir al-Balah by providing nutrition screening and treatment to children under 5, pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Our treatment package includes providing medical interventions, supplements and high calorie biscuits and pastes to malnourished children and mothers. Since the start of the war, our two clinics have helped over 113,000 people, including over 42,000 children.
  • According to the IPC, through June 2026, at least 132,000 children under the age of five are at risk of death from acute malnutrition. This number has doubled compared to the IPC estimates reported in May 2025.
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RNZ interview dropout cements concerns about rural connectivity – Federated Farmers

Source: Federated Farmers

A live interview on RNZ’s Nine to Noon this morning has added weight to Federated Farmers’ concerns about poor rural connectivity and Chorus’s phasing out of copper lines.
In a twist of irony, Federated Farmers rural connectivity spokesperson Mark Hooper’s connection from his Taranaki dairy farm began to drop out mid-interview.
“I couldn’t have timed it better if I tried,” Hooper says.
“Just as Bryan Crump was suggesting rural people had plenty of modern alternatives to rely on, he got to see firsthand what those of us who live in rural New Zealand deal with every day.
“Rural connectivity isn't up to scratch, cellular reception is patchy at best, and Chorus’s withdrawal of the copper network only adds to concerns many rural residents have about connectivity.
“All it’s going to do is widen the connectivity gap between those who live in main centres like Auckland and Wellington, and the rest of us who live in the provinces.”
Federated Farmers is urging decision-makers to ensure rural communities aren’t left behind as technology shifts. 
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UPDATE – PSA files Ombudsman complaint over Minister’s ERA interference

Source: PSA

Full text of media release, correcting earlier truncated version:
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi has today filed a formal complaint with the Chief Ombudsman over Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden's political interference in the Employment Relations Authority.
PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons says the complaint centres on Van Velden's public statements suggesting her new ERA appointees should deliver outcomes favourable to employers.
“The Minister stated that she hoped new Employment Relations Authority appointees with private sector backgrounds would lead to smaller awards against businesses, adding that current members ‘believe that money grows on trees.’
“The Minister’s statement also included a reminder about her powers to re-appoint existing ERA members, and that her decisions in this regard will be based on the current members making ‘the right decisions’ and doing so quickly.
“This amounts to a blatant political direction to ERA members to act in a way that is not independent and breaches the law,” Fitzsimons said. “It undermines the impartiality of incoming members and has a chilling effect on the current members she has criticised.”
The PSA's Ombudsman complaint notes that Van Velden's statements breach Cabinet Manual requirements for political neutrality and merit-based appointments in the public service.
“When a Minister starts telling judicial officers what kinds of decisions to make, faith in the system breaks down. Workers facing employment issues deserve to know they'll get a fair hearing based on facts, not the political preferences of the Government of the day.
“This interference is corrosive to the rule of law and has no place in our democracy,” Fitzsimons said.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 94,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health care and community groups.
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Lifestyle – Want the secret to staying young? Research Confirms Exercise Slows Ageing

Source: Exercise New Zealand

“This research confirms what we've known anecdotally for years: movement is medicine”,

“But now we're seeing that exercise doesn't just help you feel younger, it actually makes you biologically younger, and slows ageing markers.”

“The key is consistency – moderate physical activity that keeps your body moving and strong. Walking, gardening, swimming, group exercise classes – these all count.”

“We have an opportunity to empower people to live longer, healthier lives, not through expensive interventions, but by simply making physical activity a regular part of everyday life”

As the pursuit of healthy ageing gains momentum, the global longevity and wellness market has already surpassed $2.5 trillion. Yet the latest research shows that the foundation of any longevity protocol isn't found in expensive treatments or futuristic science, it's already accessible to us all. Exercise offers far more than just short-term fitness gains; it has the power to actively slow the aging process itself, supporting both quality of life and healthy years lived.

A 2025 peer-reviewed review in Aging found that both aerobic and strength-based exercise slow biological aging in key organs such as the heart, liver, and fat tissue. This research, recently summarised in Technology Networks, shows how Olympic-level athletes and everyday exercisers alike exhibit younger biological age markers through regular movement.

“This research confirms what we've known anecdotally for years: movement is medicine,” says Richard Beddie, CEO of Exercise New Zealand. “But now we're seeing that exercise doesn't just help you feel younger, it actually makes you biologically younger, and slows ageing markers.”

Not Just Cardio, Muscles Matter Too

The study emphasised that both cardiovascular fitness and muscular strength were key to slowing cellular aging. Aerobic fitness, measured through VO₂ max, and grip strength, an indicator of strength/muscular capacity, were both linked to lower biological age markers.

“The key is consistency – moderate physical activity that keeps your body moving and strong. Walking, gardening, swimming, group exercise classes – these all count,” Beddie says.

In one highlighted case, sedentary middle-aged women reduced their epigenetic age by two years after just eight weeks of structured aerobic and resistance training.

A Wake-Up Call for Sedentary Kiwis

Despite the known benefits, less than 50% of New Zealanders meet recommended physical activity guidelines. ExerciseNZ warns this will have long-term health consequences, not just for physical health but also for aging, independence, and quality of life. 

Large-scale data published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle shows that people who engage in moderate-to-vigorous activity may reduce their biological age by up to 1.7 years compared to their inactive peers.

Beyond Quick Fixes

While short-term exercise challenges can spark temporary motivation, their benefits often fade once the challenge

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PSA files Ombudsman complaint over Minister’s ERA interference

Source: PSA

The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi has today filed a formal complaint with the Chief Ombudsman over Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden's political interference in the Employment Relations Authority.
The PSA made the complaint after Van Velden this morning declined to retract her comments and commit to respecting ERA independence. It follows a separate complaint to the Auditor-General by the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi.
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.
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Shock as Winston Peters refuses to sign foreign ministers’ letter condemning illegal Israeli settlements – PSNA

Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

 

PSNA is shocked to see New Zealand’s backward slide in foreign policy continue this morning with Winston Peters’ name missing from a letter signed by 21 foreign ministers condemning Israel’s approval for a new illegal Israel settlement in the occupied West Bank of Palestine.

 

The 21 foreign ministers who signed the letter include those we like to compare ourselves to and include the foreign ministers from three of the so-called “five eyes” countries – Australian, Canada and the UK – but not New Zealand! (The 21 foreign ministers who signed the letter are:  Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom)

 

“Winston Peters’ shock omission from this letter represents another dramatic backward shift in foreign policy” says PSNA Co-Chair John Minto. “While the world is outraged at Israel’s deliberate attempt to “bury” the two-state solution by splitting the occupied West Bank in two, Winston Peters is nowhere to be seen”

In the past New Zealand has spoken out strongly condemning illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian Territories and in 2016, under a National-led government, New Zealand co-sponsored United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334 which said Israeli settlements had “no legal validity” and constituted “a flagrant violation under international law”.  

 

But instead of signing the letter, Winston Peters was cosying up to Israel’s chief genocide enabler, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a phone call.

“The situation for our foreign policy is now dire. We are the shame of so-called liberal democracies”

 

Christopher Luxon has contracted out foreign affairs to the most reactionary section of his coalition government and Winston Peters is enacting policy for the 6% who voted for him at the last election. 

 

The PSNA opinion poll last month showed strong popular support for sanctions against Israel but also showed a majority of New Zealand First supporters don’t want sanctions.

 

“We have the party of 6% now driving foreign policy to its own agenda”

 

“It’s an outrage against New Zealanders deeply upset by government silence over Israel’s starvation of the people of Gaza”

John Minto

Co-Chair PSNA

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Farming News – Banking inquiry delivers major win for farmers

Source: Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers is calling the final report into banking competition a major step forward for rural New Zealand – and a vindication of the farming sector’s concerns.
“This is the most significant progress we’ve seen in a generation on rural banking issues,” Federated Farmers banking spokesperson Mark Hooper says.
“Federated Farmers fought hard to make this inquiry happen because we knew many farmers were getting a raw deal from their banks and felt greater scrutiny was needed.
“Throughout the process, we’ve raised firm questions and put forward constructive suggestions for how the banking system could be improved for all New Zealanders.
“Politicians have clearly listened, recognising that farmers have been facing an unfair playing field for too long – and now they’ve presented concrete changes to start fixing it.”
In a long-awaited report released today, the Finance and Expenditure Committee has recommended greater transparency and oversight of rural lending.
“Federated Farmers asked for changes to ensure regular and direct scrutiny of banking booses – and this report has delivered just that,” Hooper says.
“Six-monthly appearances before the Finance and Expenditure Committee should keep the big banks honest, with significantly increased accountability and political oversight.
“It also puts the spotlight on their lending behaviour and profitability and s

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Politics – CTU calls on PM to sack Brooke van Velden

Source: NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi

The NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi is calling on the Prime Minister to remove Brooke van Velden as Minister of Employment Relations and Safety, following her recent comments that politicise the Employment Relations Authority and breach the Cabinet Manual.

The NZCTU will also lodge a complaint with the Attorney General on the grounds that the Minister has commented on judicial matters and not exercised appropriate judgement.

“We are calling on the Prime Minister to show leadership by removing Brooke van Velden as Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.

“In my 10 years as CTU President I have never had to take the drastic step to call for the removal of a Minister for Workplace Relations. 

“Before van Velden was appointed as the Minister, we always had constructive working relationships with labour ministers, including under National-led governments, as they understood the importance of the portfolio, including the independence of the Employment Relations Authority.

“It is of the upmost importance that ministers respect the independence of judicial bodies and not politicise them by saying they expect members they’ve appointed to deliver outcomes that suit their political agenda.

“It is deeply concerning that the Minister has told media that she stands by her comments, after the PSA called for a retraction. It is now clear that the Prime Minister must step in and take action to uphold ministerial standards in his cabinet.

“These comments represent the kind of political interference in judicial processes that undermine the rule of law and have no place in a democracy.

“Since she was appointed as Minister, van Velden has implemented constant policy attacks on workers’ rights and unions. There is no ability for workers and the public to have confidence in her as the Minister. It’s time for her to go,” said Wagstaff.

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Arts – NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award 2025 goes to Cristina Sanders!

Source:  New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc)

The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi O Aotearoa (PEN NZ Inc) congratulates Cristina Sanders on winning the NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award 2025.

Cristina Sanders will use the award to continue research into her time-travel story of colonial governor, Sir George Grey.

Cristina says: “Thank you Tina Shaw! The timing of this award is perfect; I’m off to wander Te Rohe Pōtae next week, whispering up ghosts and stories, tracing our colonial history in the geography of hills and rivers. I’m am so grateful to the judges for considering my story, with all its peculiarities, worth telling.”

The judging panel of Dr Paula Morris and Catherine Roberston said, “Cristina Sanders is a serious writer, intent on developing her skill and repertoire and with the talent/experience to do so.”

Tina Shaw said, “I was really impressed with Cristina's ambitious idea for her fifth novel that mashes together time travel and history. It's an interesting progression for this author who has worked hard to achieve success in her writing career. Cristina has already completed a solid first draft of the novel, and I look forward to seeing a new perspective of Aotearoa historical issues in a near-future context.”

The $5,000 award was established by award-winning novelist Tina Shaw to encourage the development of new novels by mid-career fiction writers. The inaugural winner of this award was Steph Matuku, who used the award to help complete the writing of The Blue Dawn, a novel set in early 19th century New Zealand, when the whaling industry was at its peak.

Tina Shaw is a novelist, short story writer and editor who has received many awards for her work, including the CNZ Berlin Writers Residency, the University of Waikato Writer-In-Residence and the Buddle Findlay Sargeson Fellowship. She won the 2018 Storylines Tessa Duder Award with Ursa which was published in 2019 by Walker Books Australia and received a Storylines Notable Book Award. As editor, her 7th edition of the Bateman NZ Writer's Handbook was published in 2023. Her novel manuscript A House Built on Sand won the 2023 Michael Gifkins Prize and was published in 2024 by Text Publishing.

Shaw works as a book reviewer, mentor, manuscript assessor, publisher, and is editor of the NZSA quarterly publication NZ Author.

Find out more about the NZSA Shaw Writer’s Award: https://authors.us5.list-manage.com/track/click?u=905a5275ec5c023659502ec21&id=673ec283d4&e=466373ae7c

The NZSA would like to thank the 2025 Judging Panel – Dr Paula Morris and Catherine Robertson and Tina Shaw for generously establishing this award.  

Notes:
The New Zealand Society of Authors Te Puni Kaituhi o Aotearoa PEN NZ Inc is the principal organisation representing writers in Aotearoa. Founded in 1934, it advocates for the right to fair reward and creative rights, administers prizes and awards, works across the literary sector to make Aotearoa New Zealand writers and books more visible, and runs professional development programmes for writers.
authors.org.nz