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Animal Welfare – Government pushes cruel pig-caging Bill through its first reading – defying public will – SAFE

Source: SAFE For Animals

SAFE says the Government is dismantling decades of animal-welfare progress by changing the law to continue the use of intensive cages for pigs indefinitely.
The Animal Welfare (Regulations for Management of Pigs) Amendment Bill, passed through its first reading yesterday, would amend the Animal Welfare Act 1999 to explicitly permit the ongoing use of farrowing crates and mating stalls – despite a High Court ruling in 2020 that found these systems unlawful. The Primary Production Committee is expected to report back to the House on 9 February 2026.
Farrowing crates and mating stalls are metal cages that severely restrict movement. The High Court found these systems unlawful because they deny pigs the opportunity to express normal behaviours as required under the Animal Welfare Act.
“This Bill is an assault on both compassion and democracy,” says SAFE CEO Debra Ashton.
“Every mother pig deserves the simple dignity of turning to see her piglets, to build a nest, and to rest in comfort. This Bill denies them even that – cementing cruelty into law with no end in sight.”
Animal Welfare Minister Andrew Hoggard has defended the Bill as “science-based policy” that “strengthens animal welfare” and reflects “compassion and practicality.”
SAFE says those claims betray the responsibility of a Minister tasked with overseeing animal welfare. The organisation also notes that the Bill was developed without genuine consultation and appears designed to bypass judicial scrutiny by rewriting the Act itself – a move that undermines the rule of law and the integrity of legislative processes.
“When governments change the law to make cruelty legal, every safeguard for animals is at risk,” says Ashton.
“This Bill tells farmers that the law will bend to protect industry, not animals – and that’s a dangerous precedent.”
Polling released by SAFE this week shows that three quarters of New Zealanders oppose farrowing crates.
The nationally representative research, conducted by Verian in September 2025, also found that 90 percent of people believe the Government has a duty to ensure welfare rules comply with the Animal Welfare Act.
“The public has spoken with overwhelming clarity,” says Ashton.
“Andrew Hoggard is parroting industry talking points and has no public mandate for these changes.”
SAFE has joined SPCA, the New Zealand Animal Law Association and other major animal organisations in signing an open letter published in The Post this week. The letter calls on Parliament to restore New Zealand’s 2015 commitment to phasing out farming systems that breach the Animal Welfare Act, rather than entrenching them through legislation.
“It’s not too late to change course,” says Ashton.
“For mother pigs, this Bill means a lifetime of confinement and misery. They deserve better, and so does every New Zealander who believes in fairness and compassion.” 
SAFE is Aotearoa’s leading animal rights organisation.
We're creating a future that ensures the rights of animals are respected. Our core work empowers society to make kinder choices for ourselves, animals and our planet.
Notes:
  • A nationally representative survey conducted by Verian in September 2025 is attached. Results are post-weighted to be representative of the New Zealand population by region, age-by-gender, and ethnicity.
  • Farrowing crates and mating stalls are metal enclosures that prevent mother pigs from turning around, nesting, or caring for their piglets, depriving them of the ability to display normal behaviours required under the Animal Welfare Act.
  • In 2020, the High Court ruled in favour of NZALA and SAFE, declaring that the minimum standards and regulations permitting farrowing crates and mating stalls were invalid and unlawful. The Labour-led government at the time initiated a five-year phase out, due to end in December 2025.
  • In 2022, MPI and the National Animal Welfare Advisory Committee consulted on two options: (1) ending the use of farrowing crates or (2) significantly restricting their use.
  • The 2025 amendments would instead permit seven days of confinement in farrowing crates (three days before birth and four days after), continuing use of mating stalls (up to three hours at a time, up to three times per oestrus cycle), increasing space for grower pigs (reported at 13.3 percent), and embedding these practices into the Animal Welfare Act such that they are deemed always valid, limiting judicial challenge.
  • An open letter published in The Post on 7 October 2025 was jointly signed by SAFE, SPCA, HUHA, World Animal Protection, New Zealand Animal Law Association, Compassion in World Farming, Euro Group for Animals, VAWA, Animals Aotearoa, and Australian Alliance for Animals. The letter warns that this Bill will entrench outdated and unlawful practices, undermine judicial oversight, and erode New Zealand’s reputation for animal welfare leadership.
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Transport – Investment Boost not enticing enough for truckies

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Transporting New Zealand says the government’s headline policy announcement in the May budget, Investment Boost, has seen a modest lift in heavy commercial vehicle sales, but that further incentives are required to get more productive and efficient trucks on the road.
Investment Boost is a tax incentive designed to encourage businesses to invest in productive assets like machinery, tools and equipment. It enables businesses to deduct 20 percent of a new asset’s value from that year’s taxable income, on top of normal depreciation, which reduces tax liability and so increases cashflow and in turn productivity.
A business survey conducted by Talbot Mills Research for Kiwibank in late June had 37 percent of businesses saying the Investment Boost will encourage new investment. A concurrent poll conducted by Dynata for MYOB of small and medium enterprises found that half intended to make an asset purchase in the next six months, with 31 percent planning to buy a light vehicle (car, ute or van).
But when it comes to heavy commercial vehicles, there’s only been a modest upswing in sales since the May announcement, with September sales of 402 units the second-highest for the year, but down on the same months in 2024 and 2023, while overall new truck sales are down 31% this year compared to the same period in 2024.
Transporting New Zealand Chief Executive Dom Kalasih says that while it is too early to fully assess the impact of Investment Boost, tough economic conditions for road freight companies may require additional investment incentives, including full capital expensing for high-productivity and low emission heavy vehicles.
“Given the high cost of new heavy vehicles, and the long lead times for delivery, bringing forward purchase decisions is not easy,” Kalasih says.
An Ipsos survey of heavy vehicle fleet operators in July 2024 identified that new truck purchase decisions are triggered by the need to replace a truck, and tend to be made 12-24 months before the anticipated replacement time.
“Crucially though, the current state of the economy and lower freight volumes means businesses don’t have the confidence to add or replace vehicles sooner. The 20 percent Investment Boost asset value deduction simply may not be enough of a sweetener to accelerate investment in new trucks, until the economy picks up.”
“Transporting New Zealand is calling for full capital expensing of high productivity and low emission heavy vehicles – rather than Investment Boost’s 20 percent of the new asset’s value.”
Full capital expensing would enable operators to deduct around $800,000 from their taxable income for the purchase of one zero-emissions large 3-axle truck, or around $400,000 in the case of a diesel-powered high-productivity model, compared to $160,000 or $80,000 under Investment Boost.
“This would see newer, more efficient trucks delivering goods more cheaply, in fewer trips, and reducing fuel use and emissions. This will deliver savings for all businesses and consumers, and help achieve the growth and productivity gains the economy needs,” Kalasih added.
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. 
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Health – ProCare to Lead National Nurse Practitioner Training Programme

Source: ProCare

ProCare is proud to announce its appointment as the lead provider in a newly formed consortium of primary healthcare organisations delivering the Nurse Practitioner Training Support Scheme (NPTSS) across Aotearoa over the next three years.

The NPTSS is a nationally consistent, regionally responsive initiative designed to support 180 registered nurses each year through the final practicum year of their Master of Nursing qualification, helping them transition into their new scope of practice as Nurse Practitioners (Mātanga Tapuhi).

ProCare is joined in the consortium by Mahitahi Hauora, Pegasus, Pinnacle, Tū Ora Compass Health, and WellSouth to leverage collective capability and scale across New Zealand.

Bindi Norwell, Chief Executive at ProCare, says: “For primary care to be sustainable and successful in the future, New Zealand needs to take an innovative approach to how we care for patients going forward. One of the key enablers is workforce, and looking at transformative models of care, using a team-based approach that takes a whole-of-patient view.

“The significant increase in NPs in primary and community care will enhance the multi-disciplinary collaborative, team-based to approach primary care. We are excited about the potential this has to help relieve pressure on the healthcare workforce and improve access to care continues Norwell.

“We recognise and acknowledge the important and critical role our GPs and existing NPs play in mentoring these trainees. We also welcome the financial support available for those contributing to training and supervision of the NPs – it’s important that their time and mahi is recognised and compensated accordingly,” she continues.

“This is another demonstrable example of how we are developing workforce in primary care. We are passionate about this (and the long-term sustainability of healthcare), and we are privileged to have already led the enablement team for CPCT. Additionally, our other workforce programmes already in execution include our NZREX community placement programme, GPEP workforce support programme, TupuToa Intern programme, and our Psychology Intern Hub,” points out Norwell.

“It is wonderful that Health New Zealand has recognised the important role that NPs can play as part of a team of primary care professionals. By investing in their development, we’re expanding capacity, strengthening continuity, and ultimately improving health outcomes,” continues Norwell.

“The NPTSS programme is a significant step forward in building a stronger, more innovative and sustainable health system – one that supports nurses to grow into advanced clinical roles while improving access to care for communities – and ProCare is delighted to be leading this important initiative,” continues Norwell.

“I am very much looking forward to working together to deliver a programme that benefits nurses, practices, and the communities they serve,” concludes Norwell.

Applications are now open for eligible nurses. For more information or to apply, visit: www.npsupport.co.nz

About ProCare:

ProCare is a leading healthcare provider that aims to deliver the most progressive, pro-active and equitable health and wellbeing services in Aotearoa. We do this through our clinical support services, mental health and wellness services, virtual/tele health, mobile health, smoking cessation and by taking a population health and equity approach to our mahi.

As New Zealand’s largest Primary Health Organisation, we represent a network of general practice teams and healthcare professionals who provide care to nearly 700,000 patients across Auckland. These practices serve the largest Pacific and South Asian populations enrolled in general practice and the largest Māori population in Tāmaki Makaurau. For more information go to www.procare.co.nz

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Health and Education – Primary care consortium to lead national Nurse Practitioner training programme

Source: ProCare

A newly formed consortium of six leading primary health organisations is delighted to announce it will deliver the Nurse Practitioner Training Support Scheme (NPTSS) across Aotearoa for the next three years.

The consortium – made up of Mahitahi Hauora, Pegasus, Pinnacle, ProCare, Tū Ora Compass Health, and WellSouth – will lead the implementation and rollout of the programme designed to support registered nurses through the final practicum year of their Master of Nursing qualification and into their new scope of practice as Nurse Practitioners (NPs). ProCare is the lead provider for the consortium.

Each year, 180 registered nurses will be supported through the scheme, with 120 places allocated to primary and community care, and 60 to specialist areas such as mental health and emergency departments. The programme is open to eligible nurses working in any health setting across the motu, not just those affiliated with the consortium.

The NPTSS offers a comprehensive package of support including funding, mentoring, and clinical supervision for the NP trainees.

Anna Wright, Nursing Director for the consortium says: “Nurse Practitioners (Mātanga tapuhi) have been operating in the New Zealand health system since 2001. It is wonderful to see the introduction of this new support scheme, which is about building a stronger, more sustainable health workforce.

“Nurse Practitioners are a vital part of a collaborative, team-based approach to primary care and together, we can improve access to care and deliver better outcomes for our communities. We’re committed to ensuring that Nurse Practitioners are well-prepared, well-supported, and integrated into multi-disciplinary teams. This is about expanding capacity, not shifting roles – and ultimately, it’s about improving access to care for people across Aotearoa,” says Wright.

“We recognise the critical role clinicians play in training and mentoring Nurse Practitioners. That’s why this programme includes support for clinicians who are helping to grow the next generation of advanced practitioners,” points out Wright.

“This initiative is a testament to what can be achieved when primary care organisations work together. By combining our expertise and resources, we are able to deliver a programme that benefits nurses, practices, and most importantly, the people and communities we serve,” concludes Wright.

Applications are now open for eligible nurses. For more information, eligibility criteria, or to apply, visit the NPTSS website: www.npsupport.co.nz

 

Notes
We are a consortium of six primary care organisations that are in key, strategic regions across Aotearoa – from the top of the North Island to the bottom of the South Island – to support the Nurse Practitioner Training Support Scheme (NPTSS).

 

Collectively, we support more than 450 general practices and an enrolled population exceeding 2 million, offering unmatched scale, reach, local insight and sector expertise.

 

As a Collective, we will ensure the NPTSS is scalable, equitable, and meets the diverse needs of Nurse Practitioner trainees by leveraging our:

  • Strong nationwide relationships with hospitals, general practices, and community providers
  • Diverse networks, including high Māori, Pasifika, and rural communities
  • Extensive clinical and operational expertise for practical implementation
  • Robust coordination aligning national and regional priorities
  • Proven sector-wide collaboration and regional programme delivery
  • Established partnerships with tertiary education providers for placements and student support
  • Strong connections with hauora, Māori, and Pacific organisations for culturally responsive service delivery.

This collaborative model ensures that Nurse Practitioners will be supported not only through training but also through integration into clinical environments that understand and value their role.

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Politics – Poll shows pay equity attack will cost Government votes and possibly the Beehive – PSA

Source: PSA

A new poll has revealed strong public opposition to the Government’s cancelling of pay equity claims and gutting of the Equal Pay Act, with voters signalling they could punish the Coalition parties at the ballot box for rushing through laws that make it harder for women to get fair pay.
The Horizon Research poll, released by the PSA and NZCTU, shows a net 159,860 of the coalition parties’ 2023 voters would be likely to change their party vote to parties in opposition to the rushed scrapping of pay equity claims and the new framework that makes it harder to lodge new claims.
Based on the 2023 results, this would result in a hung parliament. A further net 50,750 voters, for parties not in parliament, are also likely to change their votes in opposition to the policy. If they all switched to current parliamentary opposition parties the government could change. Current opposition parties would have 61 seats, current governing parties’ 59 seats.
“The Government thought it could get away with cancelling pay equity claims for more than 180,000 women under the cover of darkness, but New Zealanders aren't buying it,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
“This poll shows that New Zealanders see the Government actions for what they are: constitutional vandalism and wage theft, the Government has betrayed women.
“This isn't just about the left being upset – 28% of those opposed to the changes voted for Coalition parties in 2023. The Government has alienated its own supporters with this covert attack on women.”
The cancelling of claims sparked widespread protest, and outrage across the political spectrum, triggering the People’s Select Committee on Pay Equity with members being former MPs drawn from the left and right.
“Whatever way you look at it, the Government has badly miscalculated,” said Fitzsimons. “This is a sizeable voting bloc. Half of respondents agree the changes will make it harder for women to seek fair pay, and nearly half say it will disproportionately harm women in female-dominated jobs.”
NZCTU Te Kauae Kaimahi Secretary Melissa Ansell-Bridges said: “The poll shows people are fast waking up to the fact that women have paid the price for the Government making its Budget numbers add up and plug the hole left by reckless tax cuts for the wealthy.
“The majority of poll respondents – 69% – thought the public should have had the opportunity to submit on these changes. Forty percent strongly agreed. This Government has ridden roughshod over democratic process and voters' feelings, and now they're facing the consequences.
“The Government gambled that people care more about saving money for high income and landlord tax cuts than paying women what they are worth. This poll shows that gamble has backfired badly.
“Women workers deserve fair pay and to have historical pay discrimination corrected. The public knows it, the evidence shows it, and come 2026, this Government will learn that undermining women's rights comes at a political price,” said Ansell-Bridges.
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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Environment – Bottom trawling a triple threat to marine environments – new report – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace is calling for urgent action to restrict bottom trawling after a new government report highlights the compounding effects this destructive fishing method has on climate change, habitat degradation and biodiversity loss.
The Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ report, Tō Tātou Taiao Moana / Our Marine Environment 2025, released today, is a recognition of the multiple threats the ocean faces and a “scathing indictment of government failure to protect the marine environment” says Greenpeace.
The report explicitly names bottom trawling, overfishing, and bycatch as major human activities that add pressure to biodiversity and ecological resilience. [1]
While the main focus is on climate change and its increasing impacts, bottom trawling is singled out for the threefold effect it has on the ocean by destroying sponges and ancient coral ecosystems, its high levels of bycatch, and resuspending carbon stored in the seabed.
Greenpeace Aotearoa Ocean’s Campaigner Juan Parada says:
“The magnitude of the climate and biodiversity crisis is unfolding in front of us right now. Year after year, reports reveal that the ocean is struggling under the weight of multiple pressures, but the government still refuses to act.
“While the causes of climate change are complex and global, bottom trawling is a local threat that could be immediately mitigated. By allowing the fishing industry to continue bulldozing crucial habitats, the government is choosing to weaken the ocean’s natural ability to store carbon, replenish biodiversity, and withstand climate shocks.
“The science is undeniable: industrial bottom trawling is directly harming the ocean's resilience just when we all need it most. It's time to rein in the nets of this destructive industry before precious marine species and vital ecosystems are lost forever.”
Trawling is the most common fishing method in New Zealand. Bottom trawling is highly destructive with trawlers targeting vulnerable seamounts where fish gather to feed and breed, killing slow growing coral and other marine life from dolphins to seabirds as “bycatch”.
Greenpeace is also concerned with the collapse of the orange roughy fishery in the Eastern South Chatham Rise, mentioned in the report, as well as the depletion of some stocks of cardinalfish, oysters, scallops and tarakihi from overfishing.
The report also lists the devastating biodiversity cost of bottom trawling, most of which would be invisible without the rollout of onboard cameras: 15 Hector’s dolphins reported killed in a single fishing year, 6704 kilograms of protected coral reported as bycatch, and 477 fur seals and sea lions, as well as 2225 seabirds reported caught across all fisheries. [2]
“The government’s own report leaves no room for doubt, with their own departments sounding the alarm. The government must take urgent, meaningful measures to mitigate the degradation of the marine environment and the simplest, most immediate way of doing so is to stop bottom trawling on seamounts “, says Parada.
“New Zealanders want more ocean protection. We will not stand by and watch industrial bottom trawling wreck the ocean for profit. The fight to protect the deep sea is also the front line in the struggle against climate change, and we are mobilising to win.
“This report is a wake up call for the health of the ocean. We call on everyone who loves the moana to join us in demanding an immediate, permanent end to bottom trawling where it causes the most harm.”
Notes
[1] Our Marine Environment 2025 |Tō Tātou Taiao Moana. Page 6
[2] Our Marine Environment 2025 |Tō Tātou Taiao Moana. Page 25
Embargoed report here:
Embargoed: Stories behind the numbers
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Education – School boards welcome new attendance report

Source: Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa (NZSTA)

Te Whakarōpūtanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa – The New Zealand School Boards Association (NZSBA) is welcoming the findings of the Education Review Office’s (ERO) new report on school attendance, describing it as a positive reflection of the care and commitment schools across Aotearoa are showing their young people.
NZSBA President Meredith Kennett says it’s encouraging to see both attendance rates returning to pre-COVID levels and a clear positive shift in how students view being at school.
“Getting attendance back to where it was before COVID is no small achievement,” Ms Kennett said.
“Schools and boards have worked incredibly hard to rebuild routines, reconnect families, and remind students that being at school every day really does matter.”
Ms Kennett said it was particularly pleasing to see how strongly students now value attendance.
“What a fantastic result that eight out of ten students now believe going to school every day is important,” she said.
“Even more encouraging is that nearly 30 percent of students say they never want to miss school. I remember maybe one or two of my own classmates feeling that way – but definitely not 30 percent.”
Ms Kennett said the improvement is a direct reflection of the care that schools and boards show their students, in ways that go well beyond the classroom.
“In some schools, that care looks like providing practical support – helping with uniforms, food or transport,” she said.
“In others, it’s about setting clear expectations and goals that motivate students to attend. But across all schools, the biggest driver is the same: students feeling connected to their school and community.”
From 2026, every school board in New Zealand will be required to have an attendance plan in place. Ms Kennett said that for newly elected boards, reviewing ERO’s findings is an ideal place to begin.
“I’d encourage all boards to start by considering the specific barriers to attendance within their own communities,” she said.
“The strength of our school boards lies in their local knowledge. They know what’s going on for their students, and while many schools face similar challenges, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.”
Ms Kennett also urged boards and principals to engage in open conversations about the report’s recommendations.
“Boards will need to be able to clearly and confidently support the message that every day matters,” she said.
“If there are aspects of the recommendations you find challenging, talk them through together. Build a shared understanding and a message that your board is comfortable standing behind.”
NZSBA commends the continued focus on attendance and the collective effort across the education sector to ensure every student in Aotearoa New Zealand feels supported to attend and engage fully in school life.
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Federated Farmers – Canterbury farmers need urgent consent fix

Source: Federated Farmers

Nearly 200 Canterbury farmers packed into a community hall last weekend to voice their growing anger and frustration at the region’s consent crisis.
Organised by Federated Farmers, the Ashburton meeting drew a standing-room-only crowd and delivered a clear message: government intervention is urgently needed.
“That’s a massive turnout for a meeting we called at short notice. It goes to show how hot this issue is for farmers,” Federated Farmers Mid Canterbury president David Acland says.
“Environment Canterbury (ECan) are putting local farming families under huge pressure with unnecessary cost, uncertainty and red tape just to renew their existing resource consents.
“Farmers will be spending tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars on a piece of paper that may not be needed once the RMA is rewritten in a few months’ time.
“We need a solution now – not months away – to save those families the unnecessary stress, cost and heartache.”
ECan administers around 20,000 resource consents, with thousands due to expire in the next 18 months.
A similar situation will happen in other parts of the country, albeit at a smaller scale.
Farmers say those trying to renew consents are being hit with excessive demands and crippling costs.
At Saturday’s meeting in the Lagmhor Westerfield Hall, the sense of anger was palpable.
“Frustration and a fair level of emotion was evident in the crowd. There are some significant farming businesses facing real strain over what’s happening,” Acland says.
Many farmers are being asked to provide extensive technical data, ecological assessments, and full Overseer remodelling, even when their farm systems haven’t materially changed.
Some have been given barely two weeks to compile the information or risk their consent being publicly notified, meaning a full hearing process and even greater expense.
“With the initial consent fee, the expense of engaging a consultant for early advice and just making a start on the paperwork, you’re probably looking at $10,000 minimum,” Acland says.
“That’s just to get the ball rolling. Then for more complex consents, like those involving irrigation, costs can easily run into six figures.”
He says the timing is deeply frustrating, given the Government is in the middle of overhauling the Resource Management Act (RMA).
“The whole basis on which consent conditions are being judged is about to go through wholesale change, but councils are pressing on with this unreasonably bureaucratic approach.”
The inconsistencies are adding to farmers’ anger.
“One farmer with two properties – one in a nutrient allocation red zone and another in a green zone – had a smooth process getting consent in the former but the consent for the green zone property was causing all sorts of headaches,” Acland says.
“There seems to be an element of luck of the draw in terms of which planning officer your consent application lands on the desk of. Rules aren’t being applied consistently.”
In another case, he says, a farmer submitted a completed consent application only to receive a 13-page request for further information.
“That’s absolute madness,” Acland says.
Among those attending the meeting were Environment Minister Penny Simmonds and rural MPs Miles Anderson, Mike Butterick and Grant McCallum.
“There’s absolutely no doubt the Minister and other MPs understand the issue, but now we need to see some action – and fast,” Acland says.
He says while it was positive to hear about transitional work already underway as part of the RMA replacement process, farmers are still stuck in limbo until it comes into force.
“What we hammered home to them on Saturday was that, yes, we know you’ve got stuff on the way, but we’ve got this dead ground between now and the new legislation.
“Consents are expiring now. It’s causing huge stress and uncertainty, and people are holding off investing in the future as a result.”
Federated Farmers is calling for a clear, legally binding solution that would allow farmers – not just in Canterbury, but nationwide – to continue operating under their existing consents until the new RMA framework is in place.
Acland points to the Government’s decision last year to step in and block Otago Regional Council’s flawed Land and Water Regional Plan as proof that direct intervention is possible.
“We know they have the power to take such sensible action when it’s needed.
“It’s not enough just to write a letter to councils asking them to back off a bit and show some restraint.
“We need something definitive – and we need it now.”
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Employment – Critical IT workers and others keeping health system running vote to strike for the first time – PSA

Source: PSA

More critical health workers are joining strike action on 23 October after the failure of Health NZ Te Whatu Ora to provide an offer during bargaining that fairly reflects their value to the public health system.
Some 1700 PSA members of the Policy, Advisory, Knowledge and Specialist Workers Collective (PAKS) have voted overwhelmingly to strike for four hours on 23 October from 11am to 3pm. They have been bargaining for a new collective agreement since March.
The members include those keeping IT systems working 24/7 and ensuring data is secure, those who provide supplies and equipment, those who keep payrolls functioning and those providing other critical support (see list below).
They join 15,000 other PSA health workers – members of the Allied Health collective and mental health, public health and mental health assistants who are striking for 24 hours on 23 October.
“Our members are again sending a strong message to the Government that it needs to fund the health system properly – workers need fair pay and conditions or more will join the exodus to Australia where health workers are valued,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
Health NZ Te Whatu Ora has offered a 1.5% increase from July 2025 and 2% from July 2026. Members oppose the offer and proposed length of the new collective at 32 months which equates the offer to an annualised increase of just 1.3% (see background below).
“These critical workers are the engine room of the public health system – workers who ensure nurses, doctors, surgeons and others can provide the quality, timely care patients need. They deserve a pay offer that does not cut their wages in real terms, one that properly respects the important roles they play in keeping our health system functioning 24/7.”
PSA delegate Jenna Osborne-Taylor is a senior advisor in the team that supports the needs of Ministers as they engage with health stakeholders and the political process.
“Kaimahi in my wider business unit feel deflated, devalued, and unheard. The proposed offer is a joke; it’s an effective pay cut when many kaimahi have already accepted new roles at lower pay in the relentless restructures we have experienced for the last 24 months plus. Members want their frustrations recognised and their years of experience reflected in a fair pay offer. They want their workloads to be reasonable and manageable.
“They want to know that tomorrow, they’ll be able to pay their mortgage and keep their children in childcare because they have job security and a salary that meets the cost-of-living crisis. With an offer like this, many more will join the thousands who have already left for Australia.”
PSA President Virgil Iraia who is a technical support analyst for digital services said the PAKS collective had never been on strike before underlining the depth of feeling among members.
“We’re feeling increasingly frustrated which is why we’re joining this historic day of action. We’ll be standing proudly alongside thousands of others to make it loud and clear that New Zealanders are being neglected by the Government. Workers and the people we care for deserve better.”
Background – PAKS collective issues
The Policy, Advisory, Knowledge and Specialist Workers Collective Agreement covers a range of PSA members who were brought together from 27 different employers following the merger of DHBs into Health NZ Te Whatu Ora.
Each of these employers are paid differently on very different pay systems. This resulted in workers doing the same work side by side being paid different rates of pay, with pay differences into the thousands of dollars.
Health NZ still does not have a single pay system. It is not willing to address the inequity, and the current negotiations do not address the issue.
This group of workers have had their jobs restructured, some about three times since July 2022. Large numbers of their colleagues have been made redundant, resulting in a lower number of them covering ever-increasing workloads.
The collective covers the following job categories:
– Digital Services
– Finance and Audit
– Policy, Programmes and Projects
– Business Analysis and Support
– Information, Analytics and Research
– Communications
– Procurement/Supply Chain
– People and Capability
– Librarians
– First line Managers.
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 – ERO finds students are going to school more, with attendance back to pre-Covid levels and students now thinking school is more important

Source: Education Review Office

ERO’s new report Back to Class has found that school attendance is back to pre-Covid levels and students are taking going to school more seriously than three years ago.
“Going to school every day is critical for students’ futures. Students who miss a week each term will have missed out on a year of schooling by the time they are 16,” says Ruth Shinoda, Head of ERO’s Education Evaluation Centre. “It is very good news that not only is attendance back to pre-Covid levels with six out of ten students now attending regularly, but also more students now think school is important.”
The report involved nearly 15,000 students, parents, teachers and leaders from schools across New Zealand. ERO found that 8 out of 10 students now think education is important for their future and three-quarters now think going to school every day is important. The number of students never wanting to miss school has almost doubled since 2022.
“The shift we have seen in students’ attitudes reflects both the hard work schools have put in to increase attendance, and the change in parents’ attitudes,” said Ms Shinoda. “Parents’ attitudes to attendance are critical and the good news is that more parents now understand the importance of their child not missing a lot of school.” Now only three in ten parents are comfortable with their child missing a week or more of school a term while this used to be four in ten. Parents are also taking the law requiring attendance more seriously.
ERO’s report identifies five school actions that have had the biggest impact on attendance. “Schools setting clear expectations, making sure students feel connected to school, and giving students roles and responsibilities at school, providing practical support, and rewarding attendance have had the biggest impact on students’ attendance,” said Ms Shinoda. For example, students who feel they belong at school are five times more likely to think going every day is important. Schools are doing these things more.
But there is still further to go to raise attendance. “We still need to shift parents’ attitudes, so they see their child going to school every day as important.” More parents are now comfortable with their child missing a couple of days of school, for example for activities and family events. Schools report that holidays during term time are their biggest challenge. These can disrupt students’ routines and break the habit of attendance.
NOTES
– This report looks at regular attendance, which is when students attend school more than 90 percent of the time, which means missing fewer than five full days per term.
– ERO collected over 14,600 survey responses, spoke to over 300 participants, and visited 16 case study schools.
– ERO is the New Zealand government’s external evaluation agency for the education system. ERO’s Education Evaluation Centre carries out independent, in-depth research of different aspects of New Zealand's schools.
– To read the full report, released on 8 October, Back to class: How are attitudes to attendance changing?, see www.evidence.ero.govt.nz/