This is a time for cool, calm heads.”Hipkins, speaking to reporters after Willis, wouldn’t walk back his earlier comments and argued that the Government would receive millions extra in GST revenue. He calculated that if fuel prices increase $1 a litre, it would result in an extra $3m a day in GST revenue. His reference to hundreds of millions extra was based on a briefing from officials suggesting higher fuel prices could persist for months. However, Hipkins wasn’t clear when asked if GST revenue would reduce as people pulled back on other expenses. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.

Safety a ‘non‑negotiable priority’Fairley said the commission’s key grievance was the packaging, not the toy itself. The Warehouse previously issued a voluntary recall notice for the toy. “The Warehouse has, and always will, treat the safety of our customers as a non‑negotiable priority," Fairley said. A product safety recall was issued for the Roo Crew Take-Apart Vehicle. Any labelling applied to the toy must align with the age appropriateness of the toy.

G pleaded guilty to the sexual violations but chose to go to trial on the rape charge. He was found guilty and was sentenced under the Sentencing Act in the normal way for adult offenders. Had he been charged before his 19th birthday, the Oranga Tamariki Act 1989 (OTA) and not the Sentencing Act would have applied. G’s lawyers argued that had the OTA been applied, a prison sentence would have been applied only as a last resort. “That objective is best addressed by the District Court on the basis of current and comprehensive information.”The Supreme Court sent the case back to the District Court for resentencing.

Photo: Supplied / NZ PoliceA 21-year-old man has been reported missing from Cromwell. In a post to social media, police said Antoine was last seen on Saturday March 21 at about 11.45pm on Achil St, walking towards Inniscort St.Police believe he may also have been in the Cromwell Rugby Club area that day. "Police and Antoine's family have concerns for his welfare and would like to see him return home," the post said. If you have seen Antoine or have information regarding his whereabouts, please contact Police through 105 online or by phone. - Police reference number P065853181.

Photo: Marika KhabaziACT Party MP and minister Brooke van Velden has announced she won't be seeking re-election in November. Ms van Velden, the party's deputy leader and Workplace Relations Ministersaid in a statement today she had spent nine years in the public sector and it was time for a change. Van Velden said she told Seymour and the party general secretary before Christmas that she was considering leaving, and confirmed her decision with them earlier this year. She will remain a minister for now, and the party will confirm a new deputy leader at its general meeting in June. "I've been serving the people of Tamaki 100 percent until this point and that is what I'll continue to do until the election," van Velden said.

This strategy means that the payment won’t change the Government’s fiscal trajectory, although, unfortunately for Willis, the declining economic conditions almost certainly will. As of Budget 2025, there was only $928m left in Willis’ 2026 allowance (the rest was pre-committed to health and defence). That’s why the Government, more than a decade ago, invented the Independent Earner Tax Credit, a $10-a-week boost to middle-income people who worked but did not get any other income support. The Government pointedly went against using the Family Tax Credit and the IETC to deliver income support. Labour’s press release, potentially fearful of talking too much about beneficiaries, mentioned only “those who aren’t eligible for the in-work tax credit”.

Photo: RNZ/Cole Eastham-FarrellyChanges coming for Lotto will make it less likely that people will win the big prize - but more likely they'll collect a small one. Lotto will also add a "division eight" prize, raise the starting Powerball jackpot from $4 million to $5m, and increase the maximum jackpot from $50m to $60m. We expect its introduction will lift the total number of weekly Powerball winners by 30 percent, from about 47,000 winners to 62,000 winners on average." But what you're selling when you're selling a Lotto ticket is you're selling hope. People are already prioritising Lotto tickets over feeding their kids and these changes will only make it worse."

Three females aged 14-18 were arrested following an incident in Manurewa around 2am, where a man’s vehicle was taken. Three teenage girls, the youngest 14, were caught speeding along an Auckland motorway overnight following an altercation with a man in a South Auckland suburb. Police said they are making inquiries into the incident after a vehicle was taken from the Manurewa area early this morning. “They had parked in the Manurewa area, when an altercation has occurred between the group. “Eventually, all three passengers left the area in the man’s vehicle, and police were contacted,” a police spokesperson said.

Van Velden has succeeded, however, in putting together the least-worst resolution to the Holidays Act debacle – a problem that plagued many ministers before her. Act Party deputy leader Brooke van Velden has announced she will not stand for re-election in the 2026 general election. Van Velden is a different kind of female politician. That being said, list MP Nicole McKee is considered the strongest contender to replace van Velden as Act deputy. Van Velden has achieved a lot of change in politics in a short time, especially for someone so young.

Members of the military gather at the site of a Colombian military plane crash in Puerto Leguizamo, Putumayo, Colombia. Photo: La Voz de Amazonia/Mare Rafue/Handout via REUTERSThe death toll in the crash of a Colombian Air Force plane nearly doubled to 66 by Monday evening, two military sources told Reuters, as authorities continued to pull bodies from the wreckage. The incident was one of the deadliest accidents in recent history for Colombia's Air Force, which also injured dozens. Military vehicles later arrived, though authorities said the crash site was difficult to reach, impeding rescue efforts. Colombia's Air Force had initially reported a total of 121 people on board, comprised of 110 soldiers and 11 crew members.

Fire crews were called to a house blaze in the West Auckland suburb of Massey. Photo / Supplied“A witness reported to police seeing a woman walking towards the property with a jerry can prior to the fire starting. The woman fled and was tracked by the dog unit and Police Eagle helicopter before being found nearby and arrested. “A 45-year-old woman will appear in Waitākere District Court today,” Goldie said. A fire broke out on Sunline Ave in Massey in West Auckland.

“To meet our core mandate of price stability, monetary policy can and should ensure that a near-term inflation spike does not turn into enduring inflationary pressures. “Our target is forward looking, meaning it is the medium-term outlook for inflation that guides our monetary policy decisions,” she said. “This means balancing higher near-term inflation and potentially higher inflation expectations against a weaker growth outlook. “Key to this balance, the duration of the shock is an important factor in considering the appropriate monetary policy response.”Breman’s speech tempered financial markets a little. Indeed, wholesale interest rates had risen sharply, prompting banks to lift some of their mortgage and term deposit rates.

Darkness, wind and lively seasKawau Volunteer Coastguard said rescue crews navigated darkness, wind and “lively” seas. The person was not visible from tracks on the ridge, so Coastguard crews guided land-based rescuers. “Our task was not to rescue them but to try to locate them from the water point of view to help the land-based rescue team to find them,” Kawau Volunteer Coastguard said. “It was dark, and so going closer became a bit more challenging,” Kawau Volunteer Coastguard said. Crews located the person halfway down the cliff, on the north side of Elephant Rock, and shone spotlights on them.

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NZ Herald Morning Headlines | Nicola Willis is set to announce details of cost relief measures for low-to-middle income households today; Canterbury crowned top regional economy. A 45-year-old man from a “religious organisation” that has a presence in New Zealand, Australia, Samoa and Fiji has been arrested and charged with sexual offending. Police said the man was due to appear in the Christchurch District Court this afternoon, charged with unlawful sexual connection, indecent assault, strangulation and rape. “Today’s arrest follows a number of allegations, and partner agencies are supporting those that have come forward,” said Detective Senior Sergeant Colin Baillie. “It is possible there may be other allegations that we are not yet aware of, and I strongly encourage any survivor to speak with us, should they wish to.