The Front Page

A report on how to address fair pay is out, but it's led to division; with Labour versus National, and employers versus unions. The working group was led by former National Prime Minister Jim Bolger, and has come back with 46 recommendations, including that fair pay agreements cover all employers and that workers should be able to initiate a Fair Pay Agreement if they have a minimum group of 1000...

Air New Zealand's boss is vowing to be directly involved in looking at the airline's books. The national carrier has cut its pre-tax earnings guidance to a range of $340 million to $400 million for the June year, due to slower-than-expected revenue growth. The previously announced guidance was for underlying earnings before tax of $425m to $525m. Air New Zealand's share price took a tumble in the...

The Government is reassessing its targets for the troubled KiwiBuild scheme. It now looks like they could not only miss targets for this year, but the next ten. As well as targeting 1000 KiwiBuild homes by July 2019, Twyford had previously committed to building 10,000 in 2020/21 and 12,000 every year after that until 2028. Addressing media at the post-Cabinet press conference this afternoon, Prime...

Former KiwiBuild boss Stephen Barclay says he is pursuing a case of constructive dismissal against Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. This comes after the Ministry revealed earlier today that Barclay resigned amid an employment investigation that revealed complaints from employees, contractors and stakeholders regarding his "leadership behaviour". In a statement, again through a private pu...

Police are keeping quiet on the investigation into a text allegedly sent from the phone of National MP Sarah Dowie to Jami-Lee Ross. The investigation was apparently sparked by a call to the Crimestoppers hotline. Newstalk ZB Political Editor Barry Soper says the text contains the words "you deserve to die". There was no immediate show of support for the Invercargill MP. Anne McCracken, who is reg...

Racism, sexism, and severe threats of violence have all been uncovered as part of a bullying culture in Fire and Emergency New Zealand. A new report into the organisation says bullying and harassment often came from the very highest levels of the service, including from fire chiefs who called people racial names. The report made 33 recommendations for change. And PM Jacinda Ardern continues making...

The man jailed for the Ashburton Work and Income double-slaying is appealing his conviction and sentence. Russell John Tully's appeal will be heard at the Court of Appeal in Wellington in March. Tully was found guilty in 2016 of being the masked gunman who stormed the Ashburton centre in 2014 and shot dead 67-year-old receptionist Peggy Noble, from point-blank range and shot 55-year-old case manag...

Could it be true? Members of the family of British tourists that have caused a storm up and down New Zealand were at Auckland International Airport with luggage this morning. A source has told the Herald that at least four of the group were expected on an international flight due to leave this afternoon. The true identities of the group also came to light today. And New Zealand and Britain have si...

Tauranga has been named the eighth most expensive housing market in the world, heading off cities like London and San Francisco. That's according to a global study out today, the 15th annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Study, which measures average house prices against average income. The world's most expensive city is Hong Kong, followed by Vancouver, Sydney, Melbourne, Santa...

Two English children will spend their Christmas stranded in New Zealand after a crash that killed one of their mothers and left the other with critical injuries. Six-year-old Ben Sargent and his nine-year-old sister Olivia were holidaying with their mothers Kerry and Jules Sargent in October, when the family were involved in a head-on collision. 42-year-old Kerry, from Gloucester in England, was k...

A damning IPCA report into police deputy commissioner Wally Haumaha has called his behaviour inappropriate and unprofessional. But it's not quite bullying. It's led to calls from National for Haumaha to be fired, but that looks unlikely to happen. And a new report finds increasing the price of tobacco works to reduce smoking, but it can result in low income families going without food, or not payi...

A woman who sold her teenage daughter to strangers for sex will now serve more time in prison. In March, Kasmeer Lata was jailed for six years and 11 months for dealing in slaves, dealing in a person under 18 for sexual exploitation, and receiving earnings from commercial sexual services from an underage person. The 36-year-old had first forced her daughter to have sex for money with a man on her...

A damning report confirms Government agencies used private investigators for spying on New Zealand citizens. It's being called an affront to democracy, and could lead to police action. The report comes from State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes, who details a list of breaches of the State Service Code of Conduct, including potentially illegal recordings of insurance claimants, public sector emp...

Immigration officials and police have arrested a man for what they're calling modern-day slavery. A 64-year-old Samoan New Zealander has been arrested and charged after allegedly bringing Samoans to New Zealand to work illegally in the horticultural industry since the 1990s. Allegations made by the victims include not being paid for work completed, having their passports taken, and being subjected...

A close family friend of Grace Millane is so concerned ongoing suppression breaches could jeopardise a trial she's written to UK media asking them to stop naming the accused killer. And the papers have explained why they defied the Auckland judge's order. The Telegraph and the Daily Mail were two of several British media organisations to name the 26-year-old man charged with Millane's murder, days...

Internet giant Google has breached suppression on the identity of the 26-year-old man accused of murdering British backpacker Grace Millane. The company sent an email to certain subscribers, showing that New Zealanders had searched for the man's name 100,000 times. But the Google email itself put the man's name in its subject line, and linked his name explicitly to Grace Millane's death. It also i...

The family of the man charged over the killing of British tourist Grace Millane has made an impassioned plea for people to reserve judgement. A relative of the accused, who can't be identified for legal reasons, has posted a lengthy statement online. They say they're sorry for the Millane family's loss and that she didn't deserve what happened to her. They add that the whole of New Zealand, and es...

Police investigating the murder of Grace Millane are now looking for a shovel, believed to be related to her murder. They are looking for a red Atlas Trade hardwood long-handle, round-mouth shovel. It could be anywhere between Scenic Drive, where her body was discovered, and central Auckland. Detective Inspector Scott Beard says someone may have come across it and taken it home - and they'd like t...

A judge has addressed the grieving family of slain British backpacker Grace Millane, saying "your grief must be desperate". A body was discovered in the Waitakere Ranges yesterday, and is believed to be Grace Millane. A 26-year-old man is charged with her murder. He appeared in Auckland District Court this morning, wearing a blue boiler suit. The Millane family was in court for this appearance. Ju...

The distraught father of missing British backpacker, Grace Millane, has spoken to media in Auckland. His 22-year-old daughter was last seen at Auckland's SkyCity Casino, on Saturday night. She hasn't spoken with her family in over a week - and didn't respond to birthday messages on Sunday. David Millane grappled with his emotions as he explained how concerned the family is for her welfare. He says...

Climate change has been identified as one of the most significant security threats of our time. A Defence report released today says climate change can spark low-level and violent conflict, and the Defence Force needs to be able to respond to multiple events at the same time. Security risks include vulnerable populations losing their livelihoods, increased food and water scarcity, malnutrition, cl...

A new report's revealed the difficulties some young people are having in cutting back on watching porn. The Office of Film and Literature Classification has released its findings after surveying more than 2000 teens. The NZ Youth and Porn report shows over two thirds of 14 to 17 year olds have been exposed to porn, with some struggling with it. Some teens reported feeling upset, sad, or unhappy wh...

The long-awaited results of the Government inquiry into mental health and addiction have been released, and they show a rising tide of mental distress and addiction that can't be fixed by the government or health system alone. Among its recommendations are urgently implementing a national suicide prevention strategy, reforming the Mental Health Act and establishing a new Mental Health and Wellbein...

A US report into China's influence in New Zealand has highlighted concerns, including the possibility political sensitivities are stopping our intelligence agencies from investigating. The Hoover Institution, a US think-tank, released its "Chinese Influence & American Interest" report today with New Zealand presented as a case study. New Zealand is said to be particularly vulnerable because of our...

The man who pushed a High Court judge over in a fit of road rage incident, has been sentenced to community work. James Lawrence Beaumont Gilliland was charged with injuring Justice Mary Peters "with reckless disregard for the safety of others" following an altercation in Auckland's Ponsonby in May. It resulted in Justice Peters breaking her wrist in four places. She sits in the High Court at Auckl...