Posts

Posted on

Advocacy – The Double Standard on Palestinian Rights – PFNZ

Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand (PFNZ)

When it comes to Palestinian rights, the world reveals a striking and disturbing double standard.

International law, human rights conventions, and moral principles are loudly invoked when violations occur elsewhere. Occupation, apartheid, collective punishment, forced displacement, and the killing of civilians are rightly condemned—unless the victims are Palestinian. Then the language softens, the outrage fades, and excuses replace accountability.

Palestinians are expected to endure military occupation without resistance, siege without protest, and dispossession without complaint. When they demand the same rights afforded to others—freedom, safety, equality, and self-determination—they are too often labelled as “controversial” or “political,” rather than recognised as human beings entitled to dignity.

Even Palestinian grief is policed. Their dead are debated, their suffering contextualised, and their humanity questioned. Meanwhile, clear breaches of international law are defended, delayed, or ignored in the name of “complexity” and “security.”

This double standard erodes the credibility of global human rights systems. Rights that apply selectively are not rights at all—they are privileges granted based on power, race, and geopolitics.

Justice cannot be conditional. Human rights cannot depend on who your oppressor is or how powerful your oppressor’s allies may be. Palestinian rights are not special rights—they are the same universal rights promised to every people.

Until Palestinians are treated as equals under international law and moral conscience, claims of a “rules-based international order” will remain hollow words.

Palestine Forum of New Zealand

Posted on

Advocacy – 𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦

Source: Palestine Forum of New Zealand

𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐏𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐦 is a form of racism that targets Palestinians as a people, denying their identity, history, rights, and humanity. It operates by portraying Palestinians as inherently violent, less deserving of protection, or as an obstacle to peace, rather than as a people living under occupation and dispossession.

This racism manifests in many ways: the silencing or criminalisation of Palestinian voices; the denial of Palestinian nationhood; the erasure of Palestinian history and culture; and the collective punishment of Palestinians justified through dehumanising language. Palestinians are often expected to prove their suffering, defend their existence, or condemn others simply to be treated as worthy of empathy.
Anti-Palestinian racism also appears in institutional settings, where advocacy for Palestinian rights is falsely framed as extremism, hate speech, or a security threat, while violence against Palestinians is normalised or excused. This double standard reinforces a hierarchy of whose lives matter and whose pain is considered legitimate.
Challenging anti-Palestinian racism requires recognising Palestinians as a people with inherent dignity and equal rights under international law. It means listening to Palestinian experiences, rejecting dehumanisation in all its forms, and standing firmly against narratives that justify oppression, displacement, and collective punishment. Confronting this racism is essential to any genuine pursuit of justice, accountability, and lasting peace.

Palestine Forum of New Zealand

Posted on

Children in Gaza face more storms and disease as new year starts – Save the Children

Source: Save the Children

Children in Gaza have entered 2026 facing ongoing storms and flooding that have ripped tents and left them exposed to water-borne diseases with an urgent need for supplies to rebuild shelters, Save the Children said.
More storms are forecast for later this week but families have limited supplies to strengthen shelters due to restrictions on bringing key shelter items into Gaza. 
With sanitation systems damaged after two years of Israeli bombardment, rainwater has mixed with human and animal sewage leading to outbreaks of diseases such as hepatitis, diarrhoea and gastroenteritis, and with conditions like malnutrition make these diseases life-threatening. 
Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, said: 
“Children in Gaza have entered another calendar year forced to live in conditions that are unfit for any human. Instead of having the rights they deserve, Palestinian children and their families do not even have the means to survive – they are not treated as human. 
“While basic shelter items are stuck at the border, our dedicated Palestinian staff in Gaza are working tirelessly in leaking tents, surrounded by puddles of stagnant water and sewage, to keep up whatever semblance of normality they can for children. 
“It is unacceptable that we begin another year pleading for the world not to look away from Gaza. Every child should have access to the essential humanitarian aid and services they need to survive and thrive. The denial of humanitarian aid is a serious violation of humanitarian laws and a grave violation against children – and yet it is still happening on our watch.” 
Despite being denied registration by Israeli authorities, Save the Children is continuing to deliver lifesaving services and multi-sector programming through our 300 Palestinian staff and trusted local partners in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), where we are also registered with the Palestinian Authority. 
Inside Gaza, the aid organisation runs child-friendly spaces, temporary learning spaces and mental health and psychosocial support for children as well as child protection case management. 
Save the Children is also running health clinics, nutrition points, water and sanitation services and cash transfer programmes to support families whose livelihoods have been decimated. 
Between October and December this year, Save the Children delivered 960 newborn baby kits, 4,100 hygiene kits, and 6,000 female hygiene kits as well as medical supplies in Gaza. While we have been unable to bring supplies into Gaza for some months, we are procuring supplies locally within Gaza to distribute. 
Posted on

Appeal for information: stolen metal letters at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, Wellington

Source: Ministry for Culture and Heritage

Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage has found that elements of the French Memorial and park signage at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park have been stolen over the holiday break. 
Thieves have targeted metal signage, comprising individual letters and full text phrases, from the French Memorial and main park. The French Memorial is a gift from France to New Zealand and is testimony to the friendship forged between our two countries since the First World War.
The forced removal of these metal letters has resulted in considerable damage at Pukeahu, our national place of remembrance.
“Places like Pukeahu are sacred, they exist to honour the memory of those who served, and those who lost their lives protecting nations and people so that we might have an opportunity to live in peace,” says Glenis Philip-Barbara Pou Mataaho o Te Hua Deputy Secretary Delivery and Investment.
“To steal from and vandalise such a place is unacceptable, we are bitterly disappointed that someone has gone to some effort to steal from the fallen.”
The French Embassy in New Zealand shares its deepest regret and condemns this act of vandalism on Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, which undermines the memory of the New Zealand soldiers who fell in France for our freedom. We thank New Zealand’s authorities for their investigations and the preparatory work that will lead to repair this important monument for our common heritage.
The Ministry is appealing for information about the stolen letters and damage. If you or anyone you know have any information you believe could be helpful to the police who are investigating this matter, or know of the location of the letters, please contact the Wellington Police – quote reference number O-2380388N. The Ministry believes these incidents happened between 24 December 2025 and 5 January 2026.
“We have informed the French Embassy and other stakeholders and will keep them updated. The Ministry will start to consider the reparatory works to the memorial and signage, but we encourage anyone who can help locating the lettering to contact the Police,” says Philip-Barbara. 
Posted on

Govt. must accept blame for ManageMyHealth breach as it ignored funding crisis for Privacy Commissioner – PSA

Source: PSA

  • Chickens come home to roost as Govt. turned blind eye to privacy threats
The Government pushed ahead with cuts to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner despite being warned the agency lacked the resources to protect New Zealanders from growing privacy threats.
Now with the ManageMyHealth breach exposing the health data of 127,000 New Zealanders, the Government must take responsibility for the consequences of its reckless funding decisions.
The Privacy Commissioner provides a critical safeguard and education function around data breaches. It told the incoming Government in no uncertain terms in late 2023 it had 'insufficient funding' to meet the challenges of rising complaints from individuals and organisations (see p5 of Briefing to Incoming Minister 4 December 2023).
He told the new Minister 'While we respond effectively to address the privacy concerns these organisations create, our current resourcing limits our ability to uplift privacy capability and understanding across the economy'.
“The Government was explicitly warned – it knew the Privacy Commissioner was already stretched thin, yet it still forced through a 6.5 percent funding cut to pay for tax cuts for landlords,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
The warning was repeated in its latest Annual Report, with the Office saying funding had fallen in real terms and was below the level needed to meet its increased responsibilities as complaints continued to increase sharply (see p14).
“Cuts have consequences – we're seeing that across the public sector.
“In this case the cut was imposed on an agency that was already at breaking point. The Government must accept some of the blame for the ManageMyHealth breach as it prioritised tax breaks for landlords ahead of properly resourcing the agency at the frontline of protecting New Zealanders' private health and other sensitive information.
“The Commissioner's own website today warns that 'There is high demand right now for our services. We're working hard, but there might be delays in progressing your complaint or enquiry.' That's the reality of an agency pushed beyond its limits and starved of the funding it needs to do its job.
“The Office can't provide the specialist advice agencies need to protect data because of funding cuts. They can't educate organisations about their privacy obligations. They can't investigate complaints in a timely way.
“It goes deeper than that too. The Privacy Commissioner has been crystal clear in briefings to the Government and their last three Annual Reports that a review of the Privacy Act is urgent.
“Our legal framework hasn't caught up with AI, biometrics and new risks to children's privacy from social media. This work is now critical.
“The Government needs to stop burying its head in the sand. It must apologise for these reckless cuts, restore funding immediately, and commit to a comprehensive review of the Privacy Act.
“Otherwise we'll see more breaches like ManageMyHealth. The Government can't keep cutting agencies to the bone and then act surprised when things go wrong. New Zealanders deserve better.”
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.
Posted on

Household labour force survey estimated working-age population: December 2025 quarter – Stats NZ information release

Source: Statistics New Zealand

Household labour force survey estimated working-age population: December 2025 quarter – information release
9 January 2025

The household labour force survey estimated working-age population table shows the population benchmarks used to produce household labour force survey estimates for the upcoming labour market statistics release.

Visit Statistics New Zealand website to read the full information release:

Posted on

Weather News – Temperatures set to soar for the weekend – MetService

Source: MetService

Covering period of Thursday 8 – Monday 12 January – Temperatures across the country are forecast to be much warmer than your average summer’s day this weekend, as the remnants of the Australian heatwave cross the Tasman Sea. Eastern areas will see the highest daytime temperatures, particularly around Hawke’s Bay where thermometers could see upwards of 35°C on both Saturday and Sunday.
 
An area of high pressure is driving westerly winds over the Tasman, picking up moisture along the way and delivering that hot, moist air direct to our doorsteps. A Heavy Rain Watch is currently in place from this afternoon (Thursday) until Friday morning for Fiordland and is expected to be the first of more Severe Weather Watches and Warnings to come for this weekend for not only Heavy Rain but Strong Winds too.
 
Heat Alerts have also been issued ahead of the weekend: Whakatāne, Napier, Hastings, Motueka, Blenheim, and Kaikōura have all met their thresholds for the alerts for Friday. However, the heat ramps up on Saturday and Sunday, with forecasts indicating 35 to 37°C around Hawke’s Bay; 30 to 31°C in Northland; 28 to 31°C for North Canterbury and Marlborough.

MetService meteorologist Clare O’Connor details, “Some January temperature records are expected to tumble over the weekend, which highlights the extremes we could reach. Thankfully we aren’t receiving the full brunt of the Australian heat – which saw some cities reach 40 to 45°C – but these are still high temperatures for New Zealand and planning accordingly is crucial.”
 
For the South Island, heat is not the only extreme in the forecast. The West Coast and Fiordland are expected to see warning amounts of rainfall through Saturday and Sunday, and strong winds cross the Southern Alps, affecting Otago and Canterbury, adding to the heat in the east. The strong winds also reach the lower North Island.

O’Connor advises, “The hottest temperatures coincide with the strongest winds in the east due to the Foehn Effect, and extra care should be taken in places with increased risk of wildfires around any activity that could produce sparks. A return to more standard weather is forecast for the coming week, so it’s better to wait a couple of days than to take the risk.”

The Foehn Effect describes how warm, moist air dries out and warms up as it crosses a mountain barrier, a common occurrence over the Southern Alps and the eastern ranges of the North Island.

Posted on

Climate – Earth Sciences NZ Jan-Mar 2026 climate outlook & December climate summary

Source: Earth Sciences New Zealand

What's ahead weather-wise for the next 3 months?
In short, we’re looking at above average temperatures for the north and west of the North Island, above average rainfall for the north and east of the North Island, and below average rainfall for the west of the South Island. And warmer than average sea surface temperatures mean we’re more likely to have warmer nights.
Full details in the first attachment. The second summarises the unsettled December, with temperatures ranging from 35.6°C at Kawerau to 0.1°C at Pukāki, and parts of the country having more than 149% of average rainfall and others only 50-79%.
Posted on

Fire Safety – Extreme caution needed in many districts as fire risk spikes over coming days

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

The strike date in the original media release was incorrect. Please use the version below.
After a wet holiday period for many of us, summer has finally returned to Aotearoa New Zealand.
While this may seem like good news, Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Deputy Chief Executive Prevention, Nick Pyatt says it also poses an increased fire risk.
“This weekend, many parts of the country will be experiencing elevated fire danger conditions, with temperatures expected to surpass 30 degrees in some locations, wind gusts of 30km/h at times, and low humidity.”
“These conditions are what we call a perfect storm for wildfire risk.”
The risk will be highest in the Canterbury, Marlborough, Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay, Tairāwhiti, and Northland districts.
Nick Pyatt is urging people in these areas to take extra care this weekend.
“97 percent of wildfires in Aotearoa New Zealand are caused by people. We can’t control the fire risk, but we can control our actions.”
Nick Pyatt says the public should visit www.checkitsalright.nz to see if there are any restrictions on lighting open-air fires in their area, and for safety advice.
“If your weekend plans include any activities involving an outdoor fire or spark/heat generating activities such as using power tools and mowing the lawn, we’re asking you to consider postponing these activities.”
“Physically check any burn piles from the last few weeks are fully extinguished. If in doubt put more water on it to make sure it’s fully extinguished ahead of these extreme conditions.”
“In these conditions, all it takes is one spark or ember to start a wildfire that will get out of control quickly and be very difficult for our crews to control.”
“If you’re still writing your New Year’s resolutions, consider adding ‘be fire safe this summer’ to that list.”
Fire and Emergency also reminds the public that members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) will undertake a one-hour strike on Friday 9 January.
From 12-1pm tomorrow volunteers will respond to incidents in cities and towns served by paid firefighters, and there will be delays.
Fire and Emergency urges the NZPFU to call off its strike given heightened fire risks and the fact both parties are due to meet for facilitation later this month.
You can stay updated on this weekend’s weather conditions and seek safety advice on www.checkitsalright.nz
Posted on

Fire Safety – Restricted fire season for the Wairarapa

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is moving the Wairarapa to a restricted fire season at 8am on Friday 9 January, until further notice.
A restricted fire season means a permit is required to light an open-air fire.
The restricted fire season will cover Inland Northern, Inland Central, South Wairarapa and the Western Ranges.
Announcing the fire season change, Community Risk Manager Phil Soal says the recent warm and dry weather means the fire risk across the region has increased.
“In these conditions fire will travel fast and will be difficult for our crews to extinguish.
“Having a restricted fire season gives us greater control of who can burn and when, and we can provide direct fire safety advice to those completing burns.”
The public can apply for a permit at www.checkitsalright.nz
Phil Soal says weather is forecast to be very hot and windy over the weekend, which again increases the fire danger.
“With temperatures expected to increase this weekend we are asking the public to take extra care.”
For fire safety tips and more information about the activities you can and can’t do in a restricted fire season, go to www.checkitsalright.nz