Posts

Posted on

Tax Reform – PSA supports report calling for tech giants to pay fairer share of taxes

Source: PSA

To help ensure properly funded public, health and community services the Government needs to aggressively ensure large international corporations pay their fair share of tax in New Zealand, the PSA says.
A report issued today, commissioned by Tax Justice Aotearoa and the Better Taxes for a Better Future campaign, shows that some of the richest multi-national technology corporations – like Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services – are paying minimal tax on the billions of revenue they generate in New Zealand. It also highlights how the Government is not taking opportunities to ensure these companies pay more in tax.
“New Zealand is missing out on more than $100 million in tax revenue from multi-national corporations each year that could be used to fund vital public services like hospitals and border security, says Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons
“By not enforcing fair taxes for international tech companies the Government is choosing to place an unfair burden on working people to fund public services.
“The recent legislation ending 33 pay equity claims of underpaid, mainly female workers to raise $12 billion in revenue to shore up the Government’s Budget is a dramatic example of how women are being targeted by the Government while large corporates are exempted from paying their fair share,” Fitzsimons says.
“At the same time the Government has chosen to fund $3 billion in tax breaks for landlords and $300 million for tobacco companies, while cutting funding for public, health and community services.
The report Big Tech Little Tax details the ways international tech corporations pay minimal tax on billions of dollars of revenue. They do this by moving the bulk of their revenue to their parent companies in low tax countries, which leaves them little taxable income in New Zealand.
“More importantly the report highlights the opportunity for the Government to take action to increase the tax these companies pay in New Zealand, rather than continually slashing funding for public, health and community services,” Fitzsimons says.
“The Government seems reluctant to tackle taxing the tech corporates, partially out of fear of US retaliation. However, the report identifies other measures the Government could take that are already allowed for in current legislation and international agreements.
“What is needed is the political will to take the fight to these large corporations, which is what is already happening in Australia,” Fitzsimons says.
One initiative identified in the report, which is already allowed in the New Zealand -United States agreement on double taxation is to enforce a 5% withholding tax rate the royalties the tech corporation pay to their parent companies. This move would raise $130 million that could be used to pay for over 10,000 extra elective surgeries each year or build 1,400 social housing units, Fitzsimons says.
The PSA is a member of Tax Justice Aotearoa.
The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand's largest trade union, representing and supporting 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health, and community services
Posted on

Events – Zero Waste Hui celebrates 25 years of mahi

Source: Zero Waste Aotearoa

Zero Waste Aotearoa will celebrate 25 years of building a waste free future at the Zero Waste Aotearoa National Hui from 8-10 September. The event will be hosted at the University of Auckland/Te Taumata Rau o Tāmaki Makaurau featuring a range of fantastic speakers.

“From the movement's early voices to those meeting the challenges of today, this hui will bring together the people and organisations committed to a future where all people and things are valued, and nothing goes to waste,” said Dorte Wray, General Manager, Zero Waste Aotearoa.

The goal of zero waste is to minimise and ultimately eliminate waste by:

  • Preventing the creation of waste by using better designs and systems
  • Using tools to ensure those who create waste take responsibility for it
  • Repurposing, reusing and repairing materials
  • Recycling and composting.

“Here in Aotearoa NZ, zero waste is built upon the foundations of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We see partnership with Tangata Whenua as essential to maximising just and enduring outcomes.”

“We have the solutions right now. Our members have been making zero waste a reality in communities across the country for decades. Places like Xtreme Zero Waste in Raglan/Whaingaroa and Wastebusters in Wānaka are leading the way by diverting 70-80% of the materials that come to them away from landfill.”

“Anyone who has been to one of these places knows how great they are. Zero waste is a real win-win for the economy and environment. Community Resource Recovery Centres are creating sustainable, dignified employment while reducing climate emissions and keeping valuable resources in use.”

“The Zero Waste Hui provides a space for cementing relationships and strong connections across the zero waste sector. We enjoy a great relationship with Auckland Council who are committed to a zero waste approach to reducing waste to landfill and addressing climate change and it's great to have them as sponsors for the hui.”

The Zero Waste Aotearoa Hui is a great place for attendees to participate in collective action, inspiration and learning. The first two days are a mix of keynote speakers, panels and workshops. On the third day, attendees tour different zero waste projects around the city for a close up view of the waste minimisation work happening.

Posted on

Energy Sector – Electricity Authority lodges formal complaints over alleged Code breaches

Source: Electricity Authority

The Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko (Authority) has lodged two separate formal complaints with the Rulings Panel alleging a breach of the Electricity Industry Participation Code 2010 (Code) by grid owner Transpower and retailer South Pacific Energy Limited.
The Code sets out the duties and responsibilities for all participants in New Zealand's electricity industry. The Authority can enforce compliance with the Code to ensure improved industry practice.
The complaint against Transpower as grid owner alleges it applied incorrect protection settings on 14 February 2023 in breach of clause 4(4)(a)(ii) of Technical Code A, Schedule 8.3 of the Code.
The Authority lodged this complaint because the grid owner appears to have made a conscious decision not to address the risks identified with its asset; the potential operational and security impact could have been greater if the trip event had occurred on a larger grid connection point; and the Authority aims to prevent similar incidents happening in the future.
The complaint against South Pacific Energy alleges the retailer failed, on a number of occasions in 2024 and 2025, to meet payment deadlines and made deposits in incorrect accounts in breach of clauses 14A.6(2), 14.31(1)(a) and 14.32(1) of the Code.
The Authority lodged this complaint because South Pacific Energy, based on the number of alleged Code breaches, did not exercise due care and consideration for payment obligations; the breaches indicate a history of non-compliance which has an operational impact on the clearing manager; and the Authority aims to prevent the risk of recurrence.
The Rulings Panel is an independent body that determines breaches of the Code and may make appropriate remedial orders under section 54 of the Electricity Industry Act 2010.
If the Rulings Panel upholds a complaint, it has the power to make remedial orders against industry participants. Remedial orders include pecuniary penalties, compliance orders, compensation orders, and private and public warnings or reprimands.
Under the Electricity Industry (Enforcement) Regulations 2010, the total liability for an asset owner in breach of Part 8 of the Code (including both pecuniary penalties and compensation orders) is limited to $2 million. The liability limit applying to other industry participants in breach of Part 14 of the Code is limited by the Electricity Industry Act 2010 to a pecuniary penalty not exceeding $2 million and a further amount not exceeding $10,000 for every day or part of a day during which the breach continues. 
More detail
The full details of the complaints are detailed in the following notices:
Posted on

Health – IHC welcomes disability change

Source: IHC

IHC is welcoming today’s announced changes to the disability system that will make it more consistent, transparent, sustainable and fair.

The Government has announced a raft of changes that include consistency for Needs Assessments across the country and greater flexibility for individualised funding while holding firm on Enabling Good Lives principles.

IHC’s Director of Advocacy Tania Thomas says this is a big step forward for the sector and it’s great to see that more work has been done to make sure disabled people, their families and carers have a system they can trust and is easy to use.

“The announcement that in 2026 purchasing guidelines, including March 2024 amendments to them, will no longer apply is likely to go some way to helping some to rebuild trust,” says Tania.

“Under the new approach, flexible funding users will have more choice and control but will need to keep their spending within their budget.”

Minister Louise Upston also stated that longer-term work is being done to strengthen the disability support system to reflect the Enabling Good Lives vision and principles.

“Giving disabled people and their families and carers more clarity, certainty, flexibility, and choice is a welcome move,” says Tania. “But it’s a waiting game to understand the detail around how the new approach will make a positive change in the lives of people with disabilities.

“There is still more information to come about the new personal plans, purchasing rules, and what this means for individual people with intellectual disability. We look forward to seeing this in due course.

“We recognise that the changes and earlier announcements support the Enabling Good Lives principles of self-determination and being mana-enhancing.

Earlier this year the Government announced that Disability Support Services would change the way it paid residential service providers. The Community Group Home Pricing Model is simplifying and clarifying the process for residential service providers.

“It is crucial that government continues to prioritise creating spaces for the voice of disabled people in the decision-making processes around key decisions that impact their lives,” says Tania.

These changes are positive, but they come against a backdrop of stark inequality for people with intellectual disability, who are far more likely to live in hardship than other New Zealanders.

Across every measure of deprivation, households with intellectually disabled people are worse off. While the return to greater flexibility is something to applaud, there is still some way to go to address the deep and enduring financial inequities people with intellectual disability experience.

About IHC New Zealand

IHC New Zealand advocates for the rights, inclusion and welfare of all people with intellectual disabilities and supports them to live satisfying lives in the community. IHC provides advocacy, volunteering, events, membership associations and fundraising. It is part of the IHC Group, which also includes IDEA Services, Choices NZ and Accessible Properties.

Posted on

Health and Employment – Te Whatu Ora sorry for evading safe staffing data contradicting its claims

Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

Te Whatu Ora has today apologised to NZNO for acting “unreasonably” over the release of safe staffing data which contradicts its claims hospitals aren't short-staffed.
Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) strategic researcher Nathalie Jaques says the data shows what members are saying.
“Our members are telling Te Whatu Ora they are understaffed and overworked. They're saying this is putting patient safety at risk.”
The Care Capacity Demand Management data shows from January to November 2024 day shifts across all wards were understaffed 51% of the time and all evening shifts were understaffed 35% of the time, she says.
The apology follows an investigation by the Ombudsman which found Te Whatu Ora (see findings attached) “unreasonably” delayed and obstructed the release of data about hospital shifts being staffed below recommended safety levels.
In a letter to Nathalie Jaques (also attached), Te Whatu Ora said: “We acknowledge that refusing this request was not appropriate and may have contributed to delays in the important work you are undertaking on behalf of our kaimahi.”
Te Whatu Ora added it was now “proactively strengthening its processes” to ensure it complies with its obligations under the Official Information Act.
NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter welcomed the apology as the right thing to do.
The apology comes as more than 36,000 NZNO nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora will strike again tomorrow (Thursday 4 September).
It is the second time this week NZNO members are walking off the job after Te Whatu Ora failed to address their concerns about patient safety after a year of bargaining.
Notes:
  • NZNO members will strike tomorrow from 7am to 11pm on Tuesday and Thursday.
  • The strike will be a complete withdrawal of labour at every place in New Zealand where Te Whatu Ora provides health care or hospital care services. Life Preserving Services will continue to be provided.
  • NZNO has been in negotiations with Te Whatu Ora since September 2024 and has engaged in 28 days of talks including as recently as last Wednesday.
  • Of those 28 days, 13 days were with support from the Mediation Service and three were in facilitation with the Employment Relations Authority.
Posted on

Export Regs – DCANZ welcomes streamlined export regulations

Source: Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ)

The Dairy Companies Association of New Zealand (DCANZ) says the New Zealand economy will benefit from today’s announced streamlining of regulatory approaches for dairy exports.
The Government announced the removal of a requirement that dairy exporters must obtain gazetted exemptions for their products from domestic compositional standards when selling to countries with different standards.
It is estimated that exporters could have missed out on millions of dollars in export earnings over recent years because of the requirement.
Chairman Guy Roper says the change will make it easier for companies to export new, high-value, and innovative dairy products.
“This is great news for the New Zealand economy at a time when every export dollar from every market matters.
“DCANZ is not aware of any other country requiring its dairy exporters to obtain gazetted exemptions from domestic compositional standards when they are not appropriate for the export market. These applications have often taken months to process, slowing the time to market for new products.
“The requirement to apply for compositional exemptions has put our exporters at a disadvantage to their overseas competitors when responding to international customer requirements.
“The changes will remove a long-standing and self-inflicted barrier to growing the value of New Zealand’s dairy exports at a time when our economy needs every export dollar it can get”
Every country’s food regulators determine the appropriate product standards for food sold in their market and they do that by taking into account the needs of their domestic populations and factors such as geographically differing nutrient availability across all food sources.
“A good example of this is that Europe has set higher ranges for vitamin D in formulated foods than New Zealand does, reflecting that our northern hemisphere counterparts receive less vitamin D from other sources, such as sunlight.
“Meanwhile, New Zealand’s requirements for selenium levels in formulated foods are higher than other countries, reflecting the low levels we have in our soils and therefore in our other food sources.”
The requirement for compositional exemptions has been in place since 2005 despite there being a legal requirement under the Animal Products Act (1999) for dairy exporters to ensure their products are safe and conform to the requirements of their intended market.
“Dairy exporters have been seeking this change for some years. In 2020 we identified it as a regulatory change that would support export value growth, and the need for the requirement has been consistently questioned since its introduction.
“We are pleased the Government has removed this unnecessary and costly second-guessing of other countries' regulatory competence,” Mr Roper says.
Having a streamlined and less duplicative regulatory approach around this is exactly the type of red-tape reduction needed to support export growth.”
Dairy exports account for one in every four dollars New Zealand earns from all goods and services trade.
Posted on

BusinessNZ – Exactly what it says on the tin: Food exporting simplified

Source: BusinessNZ

Today’s announcement from government to reduce regulatory red tape for exporters means competing on the world stage will soon be easier for some Kiwi businesses.
By the end of the month, food exporters will no longer need to apply for exemptions from New Zealand rules if their products already meet the importing country’s requirements.
ExportNZ Executive Director Joshua Tan says the change reflects long-standing recommendations made by exporters.
“This is a sensible, long-awaited fix that ExportNZ and our members have been calling for. Simplifying labelling and composition exemptions has been on the agenda for some time, and we’re pleased to see it addressed.”
Tan says the new system will simplify the process of getting products to market.
“Currently, exporters have to navigate a costly, time-consuming process to secure approvals on a product-by-product basis. The new approach gives businesses more certainty, cuts compliance costs, and reduces delays. It’s a change that will make a real difference to Kiwi exporters competing on the global stage.
“ExportNZ looks forward to working with officials on any further changes to the export process which make it simpler for New Zealand-owned businesses to enter other markets.”
The BusinessNZ Network including BusinessNZ, EMA, Business Central, Business Canterbury and Business South, represents and provides services to thousands of businesses, small and large, throughout New Zealand.
Posted on

Natural health sector welcomes commitment to unlock dietary supplement exports

Source: Natural Health Products NZ

Natural Health Products NZ has welcomed the Government's decision to slash red tape for food exporters and is encouraged that dietary supplements have been identified as the next priority for reform.
“This is exactly the kind of practical, business-friendly approach our sector needs,” says Natural Health Products NZ spokesperson Samantha Gray.
“For more than a decade, we've been advocating for a fix to New Zealand's broken and outdated dietary supplement regulations. Today's announcement shows the Government is now moving in the right direction.
“We're particularly encouraged by the explicit commitment to tackle dietary supplements as the next priority. This will unlock export opportunities worth $500 million annually, particularly in high-growth markets like the Middle East and Asia that the Government is prioritising.
“Different countries have varying regulatory requirements for health claims and composition. Our exporters should be free to meet those requirements without unnecessary barriers, helping us maximise the Government's free trade agreements.
“Our sector is ready to contribute significantly to New Zealand's export growth. We have innovative companies ready to commercialise NZ R&D and prepared to expand into new markets – we just need the regulatory framework to support them.”
Natural Health Products NZ is calling on the Government to move urgently on developing workable exemptions for dietary supplements.
“We're hopeful Ministers Hoggard and Seymour will maintain this momentum and deliver the reforms our growing sector needs.”
Natural Health Products NZ is the peak industry body representing around 80% of the $2.3 billion sector whose members range from small businesses to companies employing thousands of New Zealanders, across manufacturing, distribution, research and retail.
Posted on

Politics – Seymour is rage-baiting on Paris Agreement – Luxon mustn’t bite – Greenpeace

Source: Greenpeace

Greenpeace agrees with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon that pulling out of the Paris Climate Agreement would be the “fastest, quickest” way to “punish farmers” – and is warning him not to weaken New Zealand’s methane target for the very same reason.
“Luxon is right: backing down on climate commitments would hammer New Zealand’s international credibility, our trade relationships, and the future of our farming sector,” says Greenpeace campaigner Amanda Larsson.
“That’s also exactly what will happen if Luxon caves and reduces New Zealand’s methane target. Seymour is rage-baiting the extremist edge of the farming community to grab headlines – Luxon mustn’t bite.”
Luxon today signalled that a decision on the methane target is imminent. The announcement is hotly anticipated after it made global headlines earlier this year. Dozens of leading scientists published  an open letter on the front page of the Financial Times, urging him not to weaken the target but to strengthen it in line with advice from the independent Climate Change Commission.
Methane makes up nearly a third of global warming and is over 80 times more powerful than CO₂ in the short term. Slashing methane, particularly from livestock, is seen by scientists as the fastest way to slow warming in our lifetimes – a vital “emergency brake”.
Larsson added: “Luxon is right to call Seymour out – the majority of farmers, agribusiness leaders and companies know that ditching Paris is a disastrous idea. But Luxon needs to do more than just call out a cynical extremist. The same arguments he’s made in defence of Paris apply to the methane target.
“If the methane target is weakened, Fonterra will struggle to meet the climate commitments their biggest customers – like Nestlé – require. Our exports are already at risk as global markets demand food with lower climate and environmental footprints.”
Weakening methane action would also conflict with international climate law and trade agreements, and could carry legal consequences under the recent International Court of Justice advisory opinion and clauses in New Zealand’s trade deals with the EU and UK.
Greenpeace says a strong methane target is not only vital for climate action but also for driving the innovation needed to open New Zealand up to premium export markets.
Larsson says “Strong regulation must be paired with government support to help farmers transition to ecological practices that restore rivers, clean up drinking water and protect biodiversity – while meeting customer expectations.”
“David Seymour is playing a very cynical and self-serving game. True leadership requires the Government to be the torchbearer for a long-term vision for our primary sector – one that’s good for farmers, the economy, and future generations.”
Posted on

Science – NZ waters teeming with undiscovered seaweed species, scientist says

Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand

Scientists believe they’re only seeing a snapshot of what could be living in our subantarctic islands and deep waters.
This comes after Earth Sciences New Zealand researcher, Dr Roberta D’Archino, discovered a dozen new native red seaweed in just one family of red algae, and described four new genera – the level above species.
“Aotearoa is extremely diverse, stretching from the subtropical waters of the Rangitāhua/Kermadec Islands to the colder waters of the subantarctic islands. Lots of these locations, particularly the subantarctic islands, are only rarely and opportunistically explored, meaning we don’t have many samples of the seaweed and invertebrates that live in the coastal water there,” said Dr D’Archino.
Seaweed provides essential habitat for fisheries and plays a vital role in carbon capture – assisting the oceans to produce about 50% of the Earth’s oxygen.
Dr D’Archino has been studying New Zealand seaweed for 20 years, collecting and identifying specimens to fill knowledge gaps and document the native flora.
So far, she has described 27 new species and 13 new genera.
“The process of describing new species of macroalgae takes significant work to ensure the specimen hasn’t already been named elsewhere. This includes comparing morphology with other known species, which relies on having fertile samples, extensive knowledge, and undertaking DNA analysis,” said Dr D’Archino.
This is made even more difficult when there are so few samples with reproductive structures needed to formally describe new genera.
One of the new seaweeds that Dr D’Archino described, came from just a single collection made by European explorers in the 19th century at the Auckland Islands and identified as Callophyllis ornata.
It puzzled her for years.
“A box full of specimens in the herbarium Te Papa included red foliose algae collected in the subantarctic islands tentatively identified as C. ornata, but were morphologically different one to another, suggesting it included more species unknown to science.
“There was a lot of detective work to link recent collections with the specimen collected in 1842; I had to borrow a little fragment of the holotype stored in the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris (France), and compare it to specimens collected recently. It took years, but I eventually I concluded that it belongs to an endemic new genus, Motumaha and I was able to describe other two genera, Alseida and Thetisia, from the mystery box,” said Dr D’Archino.
Dr D’Archino believes there could be still hundreds of species of native seaweed alone that are yet to be described, especially from remote places as the subantarctic islands and the mesophotic zone, a habitat still poorly known. Some of the taxa discovered were collected at about 100 m depth.
“The fact that we discover new species from a few opportunistic collections hints that we’ve only scratched the surface of finding out what’s living in our oceans. It would be amazing to do a targeted expedition to these places to find what else out there – there's still so much to be discovered.
“If we don’t know what there is, how do we know what to protect from environmental degradation, climate change, and biosecurity threats? And given how important these organisms are, it seems like these are knowledge gaps we should be filling,” said Dr D’Archino.