Stories from Wellington · New Zealand

New Zealand currently lacks a national nutrition survey for children. The absence of this data makes it difficult to assess health impacts such as central adiposity, overweight, and obesity. These conditions are linked to over 13 different types of cancer.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has acknowledged that his previous desire to provide full support for the attack on Iraq was a mistake. The admission follows criticism regarding his past stance on the conflict. Opposition parties, including Labour and the Greens, are using the acknowledgment to claim the coalition government is unstable. The source noted that the Prime Minister has expressed a desire to make amends for the error.

New Zealand leader Winston Peters admitted he made a mistake by not consulting on a specific matter. No specific details regarding the subject of the consultation were provided in the transcript. He stated there is no reason the information should not be open. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed dissatisfaction with the error, with his office stating he expects more from Peters given his four decades in public office. Released email correspondence shows the New Zealand Prime Minister preferred offering more explicit public support to the United States. Winston Peters' team raised objections to this approach, according to a spokesperson. The spokesperson stated that the Prime Minister's suggested course of action would have been improved. The correspondence follows a recent interview regarding global peace and security.

International credit rating agency S&P reported that New Zealand councils are facing financial strain, forcing them to postpone essential investments or increase borrowing. The government intends to cap annual rate increases between 2% and 4% to prevent consecutive double-digit increases. The agency noted that council needs remain high while solutions are not clear-cut. The report notes that some council staff receive high salaries, with some earning over $200,000 per year. Additionally, 88 staff members are paid more than $256,000, a figure exceeding that of a Government Minister outside of Cabinet. The scale of spending varies across different local councils. New Zealand's local government minister, Simon Watts, announced that councils have been granted three months to develop proposals for amalgamation. The reforms aim to create fewer, larger councils to better serve communities.

Speaker of the House Jerry Brownlee has suspended TVNZ political editor Mikey Sherman from Parliament for five days. The suspension runs from May 1 to May 6. Brownlee stated the suspension follows attempts by Sherman to secure an interview that went beyond the prescription and spirit of parliamentary rules. The decision was announced in a statement released on Thursday. The editor informed the Speaker that it was not her intention to violate the rules but accepts the decision. Brownlee stated that all protocols between the Parliament Speaker's Office and the Press Gallery have been satisfied. Speaker Gerry Brownlee announced the five-day suspension of the TVNZ political editor. Sherman was reportedly pursuing National Party whip Stuart Smith concerning reports of caucus dissatisfaction with Christopher Luxon's leadership.

Tally Seafood confirmed it will close its West Port fish processing factory next month. The decision follows a period of consultation and will affect 92 jobs. The company stated that staff will be offered work in other parts of the business.

Councillor Benedict Ong has been accused of breaching the council's code of conduct. The accusation follows Ong leaking a confidential email regarding a fresh code of conduct complaint against him. Council Chief Executive Sandy Graham filed the complaint on Wednesday afternoon.

Mahe Drysdale stated the council is working to reopen Moawe as soon as safety concerns are addressed. Drysdale said that safety must remain the council's top priority during the process.

A New Zealand Court of Appeal has declined an application by an Australian man to appeal his convictions for the 2019 murder of 51 people in two mosques. The court reviewed a diary submitted by Tarrant describing anxiety and interactions with prison guards. A New Zealand court has denied an appeal by the perpetrator of the March 15, 2019, mosque shootings. The court found the shooter was not in a psychotic state, contradicting testimony from experts, lawyers, prison staff, and psychologists. Evidence indicated the shooter held extreme right-wing Islamophobic beliefs that motivated the actions. The court ruled that the individual's actions were underpinned by specific beliefs and that any expressions of remorse should not be taken seriously. The court also determined the individual is fit and should not be allowed to vacate his guilty pleas.

A portion of the Capital Cycle Network plan in Wellington has been paused due to financial pressures following the Moor Point sewage plant failure.