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Health and Employment – Mental health workers head to mediation with more strike action likely

Source: PSA

The union for 3,500 mental health and public health nurses and mental health assistants will begin mediation tomorrow to try and resolve long standing issues around pay and safe staffing levels.
The mediation, which is provided by MBIE, comes two weeks after these critical frontline workers joined more than 13,000 Allied Health and PAKS (Policy, Advisory, Knowledge and Specialist) PSA members in the nationwide strikes.
“These health workers operate in Emergency Departments, in-patient clinics and in the community 24/7 supporting New Zealanders facing mental health challenges.
“They deserve to be better respected and valued, and staffing levels need to increase so they can do their jobs safely and effectively,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“These health workers have yet to receive even a meaningful offer for a new collective agreement that addresses safe staffing levels after 29 days of bargaining over the past year. They are also seeking a pay increase that keeps pace with the increased cost of living facing them and their families.
“These are the health workers who help New Zealanders when they're at their most vulnerable. They work in challenging environments, face cost of living pressures like everyone else, and are struggling with inadequate staffing levels that put both workers and patients at risk.
“The threats to their safety are real – they face increasing assaults and the risks are rising due to low staffing.
“Phase 3 of the Police Mental Health Response Change Programme begins on 17 November, which will see police further reduce time spent supporting mental health staff. This makes safe staffing levels even more urgent.
“The workers are also voting for further strike action throughout November which will occur if tomorrow’s mediation does not settle this dispute.
“Now more than ever, the Government needs to properly fund mental health services so these essential workers can continue to support New Zealanders who need them most. We can’t afford more health workers to go offshore to countries like Australia where they are better valued.”
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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Education – Minister Takes Education Off Track – Principals Fed

Source: NZ Principals Federation

The New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF) President, Leanne Otene, said today she reiterates her concerns that the Minister of Education is taking education in the wrong direction.
“As I reflect on the curriculum changes over the past two years, and especially what has been removed, downgraded or ignored in the curriculum, I conclude that we are now out of step with the world’s leading countries,” she said.
“Research tells us that seven East Asian countries are now looking at incorporating soft skills such as critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, collaborative learning and peer assessment into their curriculum frameworks, acknowledging the need for students to develop a range of competencies beyond academic knowledge,” she says.
“For us to be pursuing a heavily structured ‘knowledge rich’ curriculum dominated by memorising and surface learning, rather than deep understanding and critical thinking, will leave our young people ill-prepared for a future in which they will be required to creatively problem solve and co-exist with Artificial Intelligence,” she said.
“In a recent curriculum focused meeting, our regional presidents reported that their principal members will pause all professional development in the new mathematics curriculum this year, and revisit the subject in March 2026,” said Otene.
“The whole curriculum approach needs a complete rethink. There are many issues to consider in respect of the major curriculum changes being presented. The middle of the most demanding term of the school year is not the time to tackle them,” she said.
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Universities – Who benefits from housing intensification? – UoA

Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

New research will explore who’s affected by New Zealand’s intensification boom, and the potential impact housing reforms are having on inequality.

University of Auckland researchers have received an $853,000 Marsden Fund grant to answer one of New Zealand’s biggest housing questions: who actually benefits from upzoning?

Associate Professor Ryan Greenaway-McGrevy and Distinguished Professor Peter Phillips are leading a team of researchers to investigate the social and economic effects of large-scale zoning reforms, including Auckland’s Unitary Plan. They are working to understand how upzoning (housing intensification) has affected communities and neighbourhoods, and whether it has widened or reduced inequality.

“Where we live and grow up matters for a variety of life outcomes,” says Greenaway-McGrevy, “so it’s important to think about how zoning reform can change the geography of opportunity.”

Auckland’s 2016 reform upzoned about three-quarters of its residential land, allowing medium- and high-density housing in areas previously limited to single-house zones. Earlier Marsden-funded research by Greenaway-McGrevy and co-authors found the move sparked a surge in housing construction and helped ease rental pressures.

But while the reforms succeeded in boosting supply, he’s now interested in uncovering the socio-economic effects.

“On the one hand, the potential for upzoning to exacerbate inequalities within cities raises real concerns. On the other, widespread reforms may also enable housing options in neighbourhoods that were previously inaccessible to many households,” says Greenaway-McGrevy.

“There remains an acute lack of evidence on the effects of widespread zoning reforms on spatial inequality because, until recently, such reforms have been rare. Yet investigating and understanding the outcomes is critical to evaluate the potential impacts of current policy proposals and to inform the ongoing design of zoning changes.”

Using evidence from New Zealand’s groundbreaking zoning reforms, the study will provide the first robust case studies on how large-scale upzoning affects neighbourhood composition, opportunity, and social mobility, offering insights for policymakers in NZ and abroad.

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Health – Vaping threatens smokefree progress, Government must act now, health organisation warns

Source: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation

Policymakers are being urged to confront the harsh reality that vaping is undermining years of smokefree progress – a trend the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ has long warned would happen.
New research – recently published in The Lancet – which looked at trends in smoking prevalence before and after the emergence of vaping in New Zealand among 14-15-year-olds, shows that the rise of vaping has stalled progress in cutting youth smoking rates and deepened inequities for Māori and Pacific teens.
The study analysed the ASH Snapshot Surveys spanning 2003 to 2024, a total of nearly 600,000 Year 10 students, and found that while youth smoking has fallen overall since 2003, progress has stalled since vaping took hold. Māori and Pacific teens – already at greater risk of tobacco-related harm – are disproportionately affected.
Foundation Chief Executive Ms Letitia Harding says the findings prove what public health advocates have long feared: vaping is fuelling nicotine addiction, not ending it.
“This study confirms what we’ve been warning about for years.
“Vaping was promoted as a way out of smoking, but for our rangatahi, it’s become a trap,” she says.
“We’re seeing nicotine dependence take hold earlier and more deeply than before – and it’s reversing progress.”
The Foundation’s nearly decade-long fight against tobacco shows the same industry tactics are now being used to hook a new generation on nicotine, Ms Harding says.
“This isn’t harm reduction – this is harm transfer.”
“It’s time the Government stopped treating it as a less harmful alternative and started treating it as the separate public health threat it is.”
Aotearoa once led the world in tobacco control, Ms Harding says.
“Now, we are watching it slip away.”
The Foundation continues to call for tighter restrictions around vapes.
It wants to see the Government halt the establishment of further Specialist Vape Retailers (SVRs), ban the sale of vapes in general retailer stores, limit the nicotine content of all vape products to 20 mg/mL, and re-look at the prescription model.
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Legal Sector Appointments – David Campbell to be the next Law Society President

Source: Law Society

Auckland lawyer David Campbell has been appointed the 34th President of the New Zealand Law Society Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa. His appointment was confirmed at the Law Society’s Council meeting earlier today.
Mr Campbell, a respected leader within the legal community, is a partner at Dentons and has served as Vice President of the Law Society Board since 2022. He also contributes to the wider community as a Trustee of the Spencer Mason Trust and was formerly the Chair of Te Tuhi Contemporary Art Trust. 
He will formally take up the role on 27 March 2026, succeeding current President Frazer Barton, who will complete his three-year term.
Mr Campbell says the aspect of being a lawyer that he most enjoys is solving problems for others. He has been actively involved with the Law Society since 2014 and says he is humbled to take on the presidency.
“This is a pivotal governance role for an organisation that not only regulates over 17,000 lawyers but also advocates for the rule of law and access to justice, supports legal aid reform, and contributes to the health of our democracy,” said Mr Campbell.
“The Law Society is a kaitiaki of an exemplary legal profession – a guardian of standards, ethics, and public trust.”
Mr Campbell says his focus will be on maintaining the Law Society’s core responsibilities while continuing to strengthen its wider contribution to the profession and society. 
“Key is ensuring the Law Society continues to perform its regulatory function well – that’s our obligation under the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act. At the same time, we need to keep building on the areas where we already do strong work, such as law reform and advocacy. These functions provide enormous value to society, and it’s essential we maintain and strengthen that contribution.
“Also important is one of the most significant changes at the Law Society in recent years which is the reform of our Representative division. The introduction of a membership subscription has been a particularly positive step – we represent all of the profession, but our more than 10,000 lawyer members are those who truly value what the Law Society offers.”
Mr Campbell says he will be taking on the presidency at a time when the Law Society is in a strong position, with a clear path forward.
“Everything is moving in the right direction. We’re in a state of steady, incremental improvement – and that’s exactly where we need to be.” 
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New Zealand Treasury – Interim Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the three months ended 30 September 2025

Source: The New Zealand Treasury

Thursday, 6 November 2025 – The Interim Financial Statements of the Government of New Zealand for the three months ended 30 September 2025 were released by the Treasury today. The September results are reported against forecasts based on the Budget Economic and Fiscal Update 2025 (BEFU 2025), published on 22 May 2025, and the results for the same period for the previous year.

The key fiscal indicators for the three months ended 30 September 2025 were mixed compared to forecast. The Government’s main operating indicator, the operating balance before gains and losses excluding ACC (OBEGALx), showed a deficit of $4.0 billion. This deficit was $0.5 billion larger than forecast. Whereas net core Crown debt was lower than forecast by $5.2 billion at $184.7 billion, or 42.3% of GDP.

Core Crown tax revenue, at $29.1 billion, was $0.5 billion (1.6%) lower than forecast. The largest variances related to other individuals’ tax and source deductions at $0.3 billion (12.1%) and $0.1 billion (1.0%) lower than forecast respectively.

Core Crown expenses, at $36.4 billion, were in line with forecast.

The OBEGALx was a deficit of $4.0 billion, $0.5 billion more than the forecast deficit. When including the revenue and expenses of ACC, the OBEGAL deficit was $4.1 billion, $0.2 billion higher than the forecast deficit.

The operating balance surplus of $0.8 billion was better than the forecast deficit of $2.4 billion. The variance in OBEGAL mentioned above was more than offset by valuation movements, particularly on financial instruments. Net gains on financial instruments were $4.9 billion stronger than forecast, driven by New Zealand Superannuation Fund (NZS Fund) and ACC’s investment portfolio reflecting favourable market conditions. However, this was partially offset by net losses on non-financial instruments of $1.5 billion, largely owing to the net actuarial loss on the ACC outstanding claims liability of $1.7 billion.

The core Crown residual cash deficit of $1.4 billion was $1.6 billion lower than forecast. While net operating cash outflows were $0.9 billion higher than forecast, net core Crown capital cash outflows were $2.6 billion lower than forecast. The net core Crown capital cashflows variance to forecast was largely driven by lower than forecast net purchase of investments.

Net core Crown debt at $184.7 billion (42.3% of GDP) was $5.2 billion lower than forecast. The variance was driven by the combination of the favourable variance in net core Crown debt at 30 June 2025 which resulted in a better starting position for the current year, along with the lower than forecast residual cash deficit during the year, as mentioned above.

Gross debt at $213.2 billion (48.9% of GDP) was $7.9 billion lower than forecast. Similarly with net core Crown debt, the majority of this variance comes from a more favourable starting position. The remaining variance predominately relates to lower than forecast issuances of Euro Commercial Paper.

Net worth at $190.0 billion (43.6% of GDP) was $9.4 billion favourable to forecast. In addition to the operating balance variance discussed above, the better net worth starting position from the 30 June 2025 year also contributed.

      

  Year to date Full Year
September
2025
Actual1
$m		 September 
2025
BEFU 2025
Forecast1
$m		 Variance2
BEFU 2025
$m		 Variance
BEFU 2025
%		 June
2026
BEFU 2025
Forecast3
$m
Core Crown tax revenue 29,117 29,588 (471) (1.6) 125,044
Core Crown revenue 32,479 33,065 (586) (1.8) 139,726
Core Crown expenses 36,357 36,306 (51) (0.1) 150,349
Core Crown residual cash (1,362) (3,001) 1,639 54.6 (14,533)
Net core Crown debt4 184,673 189,833 5,160 2.7 200,188
          as a percentage of GDP 42.3% 43.5%     43.9%
Gross debt 213,235 221,124 7,889 3.6 238,816
          as a percentage of GDP 48.9% 50.7%     52.3%
OBEGAL excluding ACC (OBEGALx) (3,955) (3,459) (496) (14.3) (12,075)
OBEGAL (4,084) (3,835) (249) (6.5) (15,602)
Operating balance (excluding minority interests) 791 (2,397) 3,188 133.0 (9,884)
Net worth 190,030 180,673 9,357 5.2 173,224
          as a percentage of GDP 43.6% 41.4%     37.9%
  1. Using the most recently published GDP (for the year ended 30 June 2025) of $436,103 million (Source: Stats NZ).
  2. Favourable variances against forecast have a positive sign and unfavourable variances against forecast have a negative sign.
  3. Using BEFU 2025 forecast GDP for the year ending 30 June 2025 of $456,464 million (Source: The Treasury).
  4. Net core Crown debt excludes the NZS Fund and core Crown advances. Net core Crown debt may fluctuate during the year largely reflecting the timing of tax receipts.
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Unemployment rate at 5.3 percent in the September 2025 quarter – Labour market statistics: September 2025 quarter – Stats NZ news story and information release


This email was sent by Stats NZ, 8 Willis Street, Wellington, CBD 6011, New Zealand to nz@enz.mil-osi.com


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Health – Living with advanced prostate cancer: roadshow highlights treatment advances – and access challenges for Kiwi men

Source: Prostate Cancer Foundation

The Prostate Cancer Foundation of New Zealand (PCFNZ) is hitting the road this November, with a six-centre programme aimed at helping men living with advanced prostate cancer, and their families, better understand new and emerging options that are improving outcomes, and quality of life.
The Living with Advanced Prostate Cancer: Patient Information Series kicks off in Tauranga (11 Nov), followed by Hamilton (12 Nov), Auckland (13 Nov), Dunedin (18 Nov), Christchurch (19 Nov) and Wellington (20 Nov), and all are FREE to attend.
“Systemic therapy, radiotherapy, theranostics, imaging and new research discoveries over the past decade have transformed outcomes and quality of life for those living with the challenges of metastatic prostate cancer, yet understanding of what they are, how they co-exist, and fit within treatment pathways is still not widespread,” says Peter Dickens, Chief Executive, PCFNZ.
With the assistance of local oncology specialists and nurses, the events will explore this further, and allow health professionals, patients, and whānau to join the conversation and stay informed about the evolving treatment landscape for advanced prostate cancer in New Zealand.
The roadshow takes place against a bleak backdrop for those accessing care for advanced prostate cancer in our public health system. Many of the treatments that will be discussed are only available when sourced privately at costs running in some cases to hundreds of thousands of dollars for patients and families.
“Prostate cancer is now NZ's most diagnosed internal cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men, and yet there has not been a new medicine funded by Pharmac to treat the disease in over 10 years” says Dickens.
“NZ is at the very bottom of the OECD rankings when it comes to medicines funding, behind many demonstrably poorer countries. NZ men are having their lives unnecessarily cut short because of the failure of successive NZ governments to devise and fund a medicines policy fit for purpose for all in our country. This must change.”
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ChildFund – ‘We make no apology for offending you’

Source: ChildFund New Zealand

ChildFund New Zealand has launched two campaigns that some find confronting – Deadly Weapon and Her First Sip.
“We make no apology for offending you. We agree that people should feel shocked and outraged. Children are dying from drinking contaminated water in our region of the Pacific – and this is entirely preventable,” says ChildFund NZ CEO, Josie Pagani.
The ‘Deadly Weapon’ campaign shows a Pacific child pointing a water gun at the camera. 
The ‘Her First Sip’ campaign shows a baby drinking water from a sipper bottle that could be poisoning her. It draws on a fear familiar to many mothers in parts of the Pacific – the fear that when a baby moves from breast to bottle, their first sip could be their last. 
“Imagine facing that possibility” adds Pagani.
Five million people in the Pacific still lack access to clean drinking water.
In the Solomon Islands, approximately one in fourteen deaths of children under five is linked to diarrhoea, caused primarily by dirty water and poor sanitation. 
Only 16 percent of schoolchildren have access to clean, safe water.
Thirty percent of children under five in the Solomon Islands suffer from stunting, meaning their bodies and brains cannot fully develop due to poor nutrition and contaminated water. This is one of the highest rates in the world.
In Kiribati, one in ten deaths of children under five is linked to diarrhoea, and only 27 percent of households have access to clean, safe water.
“The challenges are different in each community – but they are always solvable, and the solutions are cost-effective,” says Pagani.
In the remote Temotu Province of the Solomon Islands, ChildFund NZ is working with local partner Greenergy to rebuild a water pump that will serve 3,000 people.
The local ChildFund Kiribati team is installing desalination units to turn seawater into drinking water.
“New Zealand parents take it for granted that we can fill our children’s bottles with clean water from the tap and send them to school. In some parts of the Pacific, children miss school because they must walk for hours to collect clean water,” says Pagani.
ChildFund NZ's partner in the Solomon Islands, Greenergy, knows the risks better than anyone.
“One day my six-year-old niece was in school,” says Sharon Inone, a mother and CEO of Greenergy. “The next, she was gone. Dysentery took her life before anyone could help.”
“We want New Zealanders to be as desperate as we are to prevent these deaths. We can stop children dying now,” says Pagani.
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Health and Politics – Minister must protect the Nursing Council – NZNO

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

The Minister of Health must protect the integrity of the Nursing Council as the regulator for registered nurses, Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO says.
The call follows an announcement by the Education Minister Erica Stanford that professional standard setting functions for teachers will be moved from the Teaching Council to the Ministry of Education. The Council will also be reduced from 13 to about seven to nine members with the number of elected teacher representatives halved.
NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku says Simeon Brown must reassure nurses that the Government doesn’t have similar plans for the Te Kaunihera Tapuhi o Aotearoa Nursing Council of New Zealand.
“The Nursing Council has a similar make-up to the Teaching Council. It performs invaluable functions such as registering nurses, setting scopes of practice, hearing complaints and setting ongoing competency requirements.
“It’s integrity and functions must be protected. It is also vital that elected nurses remain on the Nursing Council.
“The Coalition Government has form here after Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brook van Velden removed worker representation from the WorkSafe board,” she says.
The changes come at a time when the scope of nurses and nurse practitioners is being threatened by proposed changes to the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act, Kerri Nuku says.
“The Health Minister says he values nurses. But the work of nurses’ risks being undermined by the introduction of an anaesthetic technician workforce and the scope of nurse practitioners’ risks being undermined by the introduction of physician associates,” she says.