MIL Email Publisher (NZ)

Source: Workers First Union

The Union Network of Migrants (UNEMIG) is calling on Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to sack Winston Peters as Foreign Minister after his racist “go back to your own country” attack on Green MP Dr Lawrence Xu-Nan in Parliament this week, and to confront the wider pattern inside coalition partner New Zealand First that produced it.

Peters made the comment in the House on Wednesday, also telling Xu-Nan to “go back to where you've come from” and accusing China of lying “like a flatfish.” NZ First Deputy Leader Shane Jones backed him immediately, saying Xu-Nan “should know his place,” on top of Jones' earlier description of Indian migration as a “butter chicken tsunami” and his call to “put them on the first plane and send them home.” China's embassy has lodged a formal complaint with MFAT. Labour, the Greens and National's own campaign spokesperson have all called the remarks racist or called for Peters to go. Prime Minister Luxon has so far called it “attention-seeking” and attempted to move on.

“For migrant communities, those words are not political banter. They are racist, harmful and deeply hurtful,” said Mikee Santos, UNEMIG coordinator.

“'Go back to your own country' is one of the oldest racist insults there is, and it tells you that no matter how long you've lived here or what you've contributed, you'll still be treated as an outsider.”

“Belonging in Aotearoa doesn't come with an expiry date or a birthplace test, or a requirement to agree with those in power. Mr Xu-Nan has lived here for three decades and makes a valuable contribution to our Parliament and our politics.”

Mr Santos said the comments come from a political party that is increasingly visible as “the racist party”.

“This isn't two ministers losing their tempers days apart, it's New Zealand First's playbook, and it's rotten to the core. When language like this comes from the floor of our own Parliament, it gives cover for the same language in workplaces, schools and on the street,” said Mr Santos.

“New Zealand relies on migrant labour to run its hospitals, its building sites and its orchards, then has its Foreign Minister tell migrants to go home the moment they speak up.”

“Frankly, it’s very worrying that a petulant man with no impulse control and declining instincts is the same man negotiating trade behind closed doors with the countries he's just insulted. That should worry every New Zealander, not only migrant communities.”

“There's a real irony here too. China's ambassador has felt the need to comment on how a New Zealand MP was treated by our own Foreign Minister. It’s a terrible look on the world stage.”

“Silence is complicity. If Chris Luxon lets this slide, he must wear it too. New Zealanders didn't ask for imported Trump-era politics and we don't want it here.”

“Aotearoa is already a great country. It doesn't need migrant communities frightened and divided by textbook racism to remain that way.”

UNEMIG calls on the Prime Minister to sack Winston Peters as Foreign Minister, rule out going into coalition with a racist political party, and reaffirm its support and appreciation for what migrant workers bring to Aotearoa New Zealand.

Background information

UNEMIG is a migrant led, non-profit and non-sectarian organisation of migrant workers across the union movement which aims to protect the rights and welfare of migrant workers in New Zealand.

Source: Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers is welcoming clarity from the Department of Conservation on the next steps to determine the future of New Zealand’s iconic Molesworth Station.

“The Department of Conversation (DOC) has run a really robust, competitive and fair process to get to this point,” Federated Farmers president Colin Hurst says.

“We congratulate Ngāi Tahu Farming on putting forward a strong business case and being selected as the preferred operator to negotiate for the lease.

“Molesworth is an incredibly special property for all New Zealanders, owned by all New Zealanders, so it’s important whoever takes on the lease is well set up to succeed.”

Hurst says Ngāi Tahu Farming is a credible South Island farming operation with the scale, experience and financial resilience needed to farm a property like Molesworth.

“Ngāi Tahu Farming has a strong balance sheet that would allow them to keep farming through tough years with drought or poor commodity prices,” Hurst says.

“It’s also well placed to run an integrated system with existing finishing farms around North Canterbury – so the decision makes sense from that perspective.”

Hurst says it’s important Molesworth’s core focus remains maintaining a viable pastoral livestock farming operation, as it has been for the last 175 years.

“There also need to be clear expectations set that public access to Molesworth is protected and that there is a commitment to active weed and pest management.”

Source: Woolworths New Zealand

31 July 2026 – Families and collectors across New Zealand are invited to head to their local Woolworths store on Friday 7 August, for an official Disney OOSHIES™ swap day.

Running from 3PM to 5PM, the swap day gives collectors of all ages the chance to trade duplicate figures, hunt for elusive favorites, and get one step closer to completing their 40-character set.

Since launching on 13 July, the 10th-anniversary Disney OOSHIES™ collection, featuring beloved characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars, has brought joy to households across Aotearoa. The after-school swap day offers a safe, fun, and community focussed space for fans to connect and trade directly with each other.

Woolworths General Manager Brand and Marketing, Abbe Hale, says the enthusiasm from shoppers has been fantastic to see.

“We know how much excitement these Disney OOSHIES™ have brought to households over the past few weeks! Our stores are at the heart of neighbourhoods, and swap day is a wonderful way to bring local families together, trade duplicate figures, and give everyone a fun boost toward completing their collector boxes.”

Key Event Details:

• Event: Woolworths official Disney OOSHIES™ Swap Day
• Date: Friday, 7 August 2026
• Time: 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
• Location: Woolworths stores nationwide
• What to bring: Any duplicate Disney OOSHIES™ you’d like to trade with fellow collectors.

About the Campaign:

Running until 23 August 2026 (while stocks last), Woolworths customers receive one Disney OOSHIE™ for every $30 spent in-store or online, as well as at FreshChoice and via MILKRUN.

The 2026 lineup celebrates 10 years of OOSHIES™ with 40 unique characters, including fan favorites from Disney’s Moana, Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, and Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu.

Made from 97% recycled materials, if customers can’t make the swap day, we encourage them to drop off any unwanted OOSHIES™ into dedicated in-store recycling bins until 13 September 2026.

For more information, including store locations, and terms and conditions visit woolworths.co.nz/Disney-Ooshies.

About Woolworths New Zealand:

Woolworths New Zealand is one of New Zealand’s largest employers with 21,000 team members across over 185 supermarkets, distribution centres, processing plants and support offices. Each week we serve over three million customers and work with hundreds of food producers and suppliers throughout Aotearoa. We’re committed to delivering New Zealand’s best supermarket experiences for customers and team with more value, innovation and accelerated investment in our stores. We’re proud to give back to the communities we live and work in, and every year we donate several million dollars worth of food, funding and sponsorship to our communities. Woolworths New Zealand is also the franchisor of more than 70 FreshChoice stores, which are locally owned and operated. Woolworths New Zealand is part of Woolworths Group.

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand remains committed to working with the Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) to achieve a fair and sustainable settlement, Acting Deputy National Commander Ken Cooper says.

“Most recently, the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) proposed both parties exchange their full revised bargaining positions at the same time, to help assess whether further facilitation is likely to assist.

“We agreed to this. The NZPFU did not.

“We continue to urge the NZPFU to call off these reckless strikes and engage with us and the ERA to try and come to a resolution so that their members can get the pay increases they deserve, and we can continue working together to keep communities safe.

“Fire and Emergency’s most recent offer compares favourably with other public sector settlements and would have delivered a 2.2 percent increase from 1 December 2025 and 2.2 percent from 1 January 2027 over a 24-month term to the end of November 2027. This was at a cost of $50m over four years.

“By comparison, the NZPFU’s settlement proposal was for more than $130 million over the same period.

“That is not financially realistic at a time where we also have to keep investing in the trucks and equipment our people need to do their jobs safely.

“In the meantime, we have provided an annual pay adjustment to operational leaders and office staff as per Fire and Emergency’s Remuneration Policy.

“This is their first market rate review increase since 2024. It is not fair to make them wait until the NZPFU comes back to negotiations to settle its agreement before adjusting their pay.

“The offer to the NZPFU included a 2.2 per cent pay rise and a number of other financial elements in addition to the pay rise, which the pay adjustment to operational managers and office staff does not include.”

During the fiftieth strike action today, Friday 31 July, Fire and Emergency received calls for 21 incidents between 12 pm and 1pm. Of the 21 incidents, 17 were in areas impacted by the strike.

Twelve were false alarms. Three were medical events that were attended to by Hato Hone St John, as per contingency planning. One was a motor vehicle collision. One was a small rubbish fire, which was out on arrival of volunteer firefighters.

“Should the NZPFU continue to take strike action, our advice remains the same. If there is a fire, get out early, stay out, then call 111,” Ken Cooper says..

Source: Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi

Wellington City Council’s planned job cuts mean less capacity to deliver the services Wellingtonians rely on, and less spending power in a local economy already doing it tough, says the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.

Wellington City Council is proposing to disestablish 144 roles, including five fixed-term positions, and create 80 new roles, a net loss of 64 jobs across four business groups: Property, Planning and Environment, Creative Capital, and Economic and Engagement.

“This is a huge upheaval, putting great stress on loyal council workers and will also impact the local economy already hit hard by the Government’s cuts to thousands of public service jobs,” said Tom Buckley, PSA Assistant Secretary Local Government.

“These are people with skills, with experience, and with families to support. They have more to give and deserve better, particularly at a time when the job market is tight.

“The plan also doesn’t make much sense with amalgamation of councils on the cards. This is precisely the wrong time to be doing a restructure like this.

“We appreciate the council needs to find savings to keep rate rises down and reduce pressure on households. But that must be balanced against the human cost, and against risk to the services Wellingtonians rely on council workers to deliver,” Buckley said.

Many affected staff have already been through previous restructures, and there was no guarantee those applying for the new roles would get one, despite the council saying existing employees will be considered first.

“All of this creates great anxiety for workers who have to keep delivering services for Wellingtonians while they go through it,” Buckley said. “The PSA is standing by and supporting everyone affected by this proposal. We will be urging the council to think again.”

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.

Source: Billo

California will require large generative AI providers to introduce detection and provenance features, while the European Union will require providers, brands and agencies to mark or label AI-generated content that resembles a real or plausibly real person, object or event. New York separately requires disclosure when an advertisement uses a synthetic performer. Many US ad campaigns fall outside all three laws, so revealing AI use is still a trust decision brands make on their own.

July 31, 2026. Two major AI transparency laws will take effect on August 2, 2026, one in California and one across the European Union.

Although both rules address AI-generated content, they regulate different actors and impose different obligations. California’s initial requirements apply directly to providers of publicly accessible generative AI systems with more than 1 million monthly visitors or users.

In the EU, providers must make AI-generated or manipulated content machine-detectable, while professional deployers, including brands and agencies, must visibly disclose deepfakes. These can depict existing or plausibly existing people, objects, places, entities or events where the content could falsely appear authentic or truthful.

A third law, already in effect in New York since June, covers a performer built entirely from AI who resembles no one real.

Neither rule creates a general requirement for every U.S. brand to tell viewers that an advertisement was made with AI.

That leaves three separate definitions of the same problem, and Donatas Smailys, co-founder and CEO of Billo, doesn't expect any of them to become the real standard yet.

“Nobody is going to wait for three different laws to tell them what to do,” said Donatas Smailys. “Honestly, I’d like to see broader rules here. Most brands are left guessing whether their ads need a label at all, and that's not good for anyone. Until lawmakers catch up, platforms like TikTok and Google are already labeling AI content on their own. They're not waiting for brands to disclose first. Keeping track of three separate rules costs more than just labeling everything. Most brands will end up disclosing by default.”

How the Three Laws Differ

Two of the laws will take effect on August 2, 2026, and a third is already live. In each case, disclosure of AI use is defined differently:

• California binds providers of generative AI systems with 1 million-plus monthly users, not brands or agencies. Providers must offer a free public detection tool, an optional visible disclosure and a mandatory hidden watermark in AI images, video and audio. Violations can result in a $5,000 civil penalty per violation, with each day of continuing non-compliance treated as a separate violation, under the California AI Transparency Act as amended by AB 853.
• The European Union applies Article 50 on the same day. The rule reaches brands directly, but only when AI-generated content copies the likeness of a real person, object, entity or event and it applies to any advertiser whose ads reach EU consumers, regardless of where the company is based. Penalties can reach up to €15 million or 3% of worldwide annual turnover.
• New York, where the law has applied since June 9, covers the opposite case: invented performers who resemble no one. It applies wherever an advertiser's ads reach New York consumers, regardless of headquarters, and only where the advertiser has actual knowledge. The first violation carries a $1,000 penalty; each one after that is $5,000.

What Consumers Want and What Platforms Are Already Doing

Most consumers want AI use labeled, but most laws don't require it. A Fractl and Search Engine Land survey of 1,008 US consumers and 150 marketers, conducted in the second quarter of 2026, found 91% want AI-generated video labeled, along with 90% for images, 87% for audio and 84% for written content. Only 20% of organizations say they always disclose AI use but a third of organizations say they never do.

“Six months ago, almost no brand asked us whether a creator used AI in their video,” said Smailys. “Now it comes up in nearly every brief. Brands want to know exactly what was shot on camera and what wasn't, whether or not a law requires them to ask.”

That shift is starting to show up on platforms too, even without a legal mandate behind it. Google's My Ad Center now includes a “How this ad was made” panel across Search, YouTube and Discover, with automatic disclosure for ads built using Google's own generative AI tools.

TikTok was the first video platform to adopt C2PA, an industry content-authenticity standard, in May 2024, and now holds a seat on the standard's Steering Committee. Using that standard alongside creator-applied labels and invisible watermarking, the platform has labeled more than 3 billion videos as AI-generated. It removed more than 86 million fake accounts in the first quarter of 2026 alone.

What This Means for Brands

For most brands, it comes down to three checks: what tool made the content, whether it resembles a real person, and whether the performer on screen was invented. Billo's experts recommend four steps to check where a campaign stands before it runs:

• Check whether your ads reach New York. The disclosure requirement follows the audience, not the company's headquarters. A campaign run entirely outside the state still falls under the law if a New York consumer sees it.
• Ask your agency whether any person on screen is AI-generated. New York's law applies where the advertiser has actual knowledge.
• If you run campaigns in the EU, check whether the AI content resembles a real person. That resemblance is what triggers Article 50's disclosure duty for brands.
• Platforms may label AI-generated content independently, but brands should not assume every AI-assisted ad will be detected automatically. TikTok and Google are already disclosing AI use on their own. Brands can choose whether that disclosure comes from them first, or from the platform's detection system.

“Brands that check where they stand under all three laws now will know exactly what to do,” Smailys added. “The ones that skip that step aren't avoiding the question. They're just leaving the answer to someone else, a regulator, a customer, or a platform that labels the ad for them. Either a brand decides when to disclose, or something else decides it first.”

About Billo

Billo is the leading UGC creator marketing platform founded in 2019 that connects brands with creators to produce high-performing social video ads. It is based in San Francisco, CA, and is led by the co-founder and CEO, Donatas Smailys. The platform combines the power of UGC content with a streamlined production process, helping brands increase brand awareness, drive traffic, and boost conversions with authentic creator videos on TikTok, Meta, YouTube, and other platforms.

Source: Mindful Money

KiwiSaver Investment in “Companies of Concern” Climbs to $11.1 Billion, even as Kiwis invest for positive outcomes at home

New analysis of KiwiSaver portfolio holdings to March 2026 shows New Zealanders' retirement savings are increasingly split between rapidly growing investment in clean energy leaders and rising exposure to fossil fuel expansion, human rights violations, environmental harm and nuclear weapons production.

The best way to verify ethical claims made by KiwiSaver funds is not to take fund managers at their word, since most claim to invest responsibly,  but to track where the money actually goes. Mindful Money's latest analysis, covering portfolio holdings across 417 funds to the end of March 2026, does exactly that, tracing $143 billion of KiwiSaver investment down to the specific companies.

Barry Coates, co-CEO of Mindful Money explained: “The public have little trust in the claims of ethical, ESG or responsible investment practices by their KiwiSaver providers. This report adds up investments across all of the KiwiSaver funds and finds the public are justified in being sceptical about the claims.” 

“KiwiSaver members can find out the real story of where their money goes by visiting Mindful Money. We are a charity that provides that information for free.”

The good and the bad

The results of the data analysis show a mixed picture. On one hand, New Zealanders' KiwiSaver funds are increasingly backing the companies driving the country's shift to clean energy and climate resilience.

Five of the six companies receiving the largest KiwiSaver investment are New Zealand businesses delivering positive outcomes: Contact Energy, Meridian Energy, Mercury Energy, Kāinga Ora and Fisher & Paykel Healthcare. That is a strong endorsement, by our KiwiSaver providers, of the companies building the infrastructure the country needs.

Barry Coates said: “Our retirement savings can make a huge contribution towards responding to our urgent challenges. After years of ignoring this agenda, some of the leading KiwiSaver fund managers are at last investing for the common good.”

On the other hand, total KiwiSaver investment in the issues that New Zealanders consistently say they want their investments to avoid has now reached $11.1 billion. This is equivalent to 7.8% of the total KiwiSaver fund pool. That is a significant sum of Kiwis' hard-earned retirement savings invested in companies whose practices most New Zealanders want to avoid.

Where the money is going

Fossil fuel production remains the largest single category of concern, with $5.18 billion invested (3.62% of total KiwiSaver funds), a rise of 30% over the past six months. This includes growing investment in major oil, gas and coal producers still expanding production rather than transitioning away from fossil fuels, including BHP, Shell, ConocoPhillips, Santos and Woodside. Increases in this category over the period were driven particularly by Milford, ANZ and Fisher Funds increasing their holdings, while Aurora reduced its exposure. War in Ukraine and Iran has spiked oil and gas prices, but the long term future is for rapid declines in fossil fuel production.

Investment in companies linked to human rights violations sits close behind, at $3.76 billion (2.63%). A significant driver has been increased investment in Rio Tinto, a company with a long record of harm to local communities, indigenous peoples and the environment through its mining operations, and in Thermo Fisher Scientific, which faces ongoing concerns over the use of its products to support surveillance by the Chinese state. Milford, Fisher Funds and ANZ increased their holdings in companies flagged for human rights concerns over the period, while Simplicity and BNZ reduced theirs.

Environmental harm accounted for $1.78 billion (1.25%) of KiwiSaver investment, with notable increases in holdings of Corteva and UPL Ltd, both agrichemical companies whose products, including highly hazardous chemicals and PFAS (“forever chemicals”), pose risks to human health and the environment. ANZ, Mercer and Sharesies increased their exposure to this category, while Milford and MAS reduced theirs.

Animal cruelty investment reached $1.52 billion (1.06%), with increases linked to factory farming giants JBS and Tyson. JBS in particular has drawn international criticism not only for animal welfare practices but for its role in driving deforestation through its supply chains.

Weapons investment totalled $612 million (0.43%) an increase of 15% over the six months to March 2026. After years of declining investment in nuclear, there has been a rise in investments in nuclear weapons production through RTX (formerly Raytheon), Honeywell and Lockheed Martin. Sharesies, InvestNow and Generate increased their holdings of nuclear weapons producers over the period, while AMP, Goalsgetter and MAS reduced theirs.

Social harm, the traditional ethical categories of tobacco, gambling, alcohol and pornography,  remains the smallest category of concern, at $444 million (0.31%). This reflects the fact that these issues are relatively easy for fund managers to define and screen out, and many major KiwiSaver providers have had long-standing policies to exclude them. Surprisingly, there were increases in tobacco producers such as Philip Morris and BAT by Sharesies, Kernel and ANZ. 

Cashing in on global disruption

Taken together, these figures show a widening gap between the outcomes New Zealanders say they want from their KiwiSaver savings and where a meaningful slice of that money is actually invested. Surveys consistently show that human rights violations are the single issue New Zealanders are most concerned about avoiding in their investments, followed closely by weapons and animal cruelty. Yet these are precisely the categories where KiwiSaver providers have made the least progress, and in several cases have gone backwards.

Barry Coates explained: “The latest KiwiSaver investment data shows funds chasing investments in companies profiting from war, environmental damage and harmful company practices. Some Kiwis are fine with making money from the misery of others. But many others aren’t. Now they have the information to make informed choices.” 

The sharp increase in nuclear weapons investment is particularly striking. While most KiwiSaver providers have policies excluding investment in landmines or cluster munitions, far fewer exclude the catastrophic category of nuclear weapons production, despite New Zealand's long-standing national identity as a nuclear-free country and strong public opposition to nuclear weapons.

Similarly, the increases in fossil fuel investment come at a time when the economic case for renewable energy continues to strengthen. Renewable energy is now the cheapest and most efficient source of new energy generation in most markets, and fossil fuel companies face growing risks of stranded assets as production peaks and then declines globally. 

Barry Coates added: “KiwiSaver providers chasing short-term returns from fossil fuel expansion are taking on financial and climate risks that a genuine transition strategy would avoid.”

A tale of two portfolios

The strong flows into Contact, Meridian, Mercury, Kāinga Ora and Fisher & Paykel show that KiwiSaver providers are capable of directing significant capital toward companies delivering positive impact for New Zealand. Later this year, Mindful Money will launch a major new project, providing free information to the New Zealand public on investments by KiwiSaver funds into companies that generate positive outcomes. 

This investment in supporting the transition to renewable energy, providing affordable housing and supporting healthcare sits uneasily alongside the desperate drive for short term profits at any cost. Mindful Money believes that responsible funds should not sacrifice their principles in the sugar hit from short term profits, driven by policies largely influenced by President Trump – war and conflict, nuclear weapons, fossil fuel disruption and unregulated toxic chemicals.

Individual fund managers show real divergence in their approach. Some, such as Simplicity, BNZ, Aurora and MAS, have reduced their exposure to one or more categories of concern over the period. Others, including Milford, ANZ, Fisher Funds, Mercer, Sharesies, InvestNow and Generate, increased their holdings in at least one category flagged as a concern to the New Zealand public.  

Finding an ethical fund

KiwiSaver members do not have to accept this gap between their values and their investments. A small group of “Mindful Funds” meet Mindful Money's ethical criteria, combining strong ethical standards with solid financial performance, including funds from Pathfinder Asset Management, Generate, Simplicity, Booster SRI Funds, Harbour Asset Management, MAS and Always Ethical.

Members of the public can check exactly what their own KiwiSaver fund is invested in, and find a fund that better aligns with their values, for free, at mindfulmoney.nz.

About Mindful Money

Mindful Money is an independent New Zealand charity that empowers Kiwis to align their investments with their values, by tracking where KiwiSaver and managed fund money actually goes, and helping members of the public find funds that meet their ethical standards.

Notes: Full data tables and methodology are available on request. Figures are based on Mindful Money's analysis of reported portfolio holdings for 417 KiwiSaver funds as at March 2026.