u/OddityModdity

Ram raids are back on the menu??

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Six businesses, including liquor stores and a pharmacy, were targeted by thieves within 90 minutes, overnight in Christchurch, police say.

The break-ins, which police believe may be linked, caused extensive property damage across Christchurch early in the morning.

Senior Sergeant Stephen McDaniel said part of the ongoing enquiries involved establishing exactly what had been taken from the properties.

“The value of what has been stolen will not come close to the damage that’s been caused to hard-working businesses,” McDaniel said in a statement Saturday.

Health New Zealand plans to close a Wakari Hospital ward after the chief ombudsman uncovered potential human rights abuses.

Inspectors visited the inpatient unit for adults with intellectual disabilities in Dunedin in March.

Their observations included long-term seclusion, prolonged restraints, unlawful administration of medication, denying people access to their own money and people being rewarded for "good" behaviour with access to basic necessities - including the toilet and dental care.

One person was secluded in their bedroom for about 18 months.

ACC's new levy structure comes into force, with motorcycles split into three engine-size categories.

For larger bikes, annual registration will jump to $816, up from $540 last year. Next year they will rise again to $960.

The Fire and Emergency levy for vehicles will also increase by $15.50 a year per vehicle.

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The Fire and Emergency levy for home insurance will decrease up to $12 a year.

People receiving weekly ACC compensation for more than half a year will have their payments increased by 1.97%.

ACC's funeral grants, survivor grants and weekly childcare payments will increase by 3.08%.

Paid parental leave has increased. The maximum rate will increase from $788.66 to $811.05 a week before tax.

Essence is the only restaurant in New Zealand to be awarded two stars in the country's first Michelin Guide. Chef Paul Froggatt received a standing ovation.

Froggatt said he was speechless at receiving the honour: "To be the only restaurant in New Zealand to have this blows my mind. It was the dream of a young boy many many years ago... to think I moved to New Zealand to achieve this goal is just amazing."

One Michelin star was awarded to Tala, making it the first Samoan restaurant in the world to be honoured with the prestigious prize.

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In total there were 14 one-star restaurants including: Inati in Christchurch, led by chef Simon Levy, Ben Bayly's Ahi, seafood led Ortega in Wellington, The Estate on Auckland's Waiheke Island, Rātā in Queenstown, Logan Brown in Wellington, Jano Bistro also in Wellington, lunch-only spot Tussock Hill in Christchurch, Kika in Wānaka, Auckland's Paris Butter, Mudbrick on Waiheke Island and Sherwood and Amisfield in Queenstown.

The party’s list leans heavily towards academics and professionals, with a few exceptions. Most have had no more than peripheral engagement in politics rather than party-led activism.

Political commentators and centre-right parties have noted that the party’s personnel and policies lean heavily left. The prime minister very strongly made that point last week.

Deputy leader Daniel Eb challenged this characterisation last week, noting that one of its policies - the UBI - was originally a neoliberal idea.

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The party has published 14 policy areas on its website and its campaign has so far centred on three core proposals: A universal basic income (called a Citizen’s Income); mandatory KiwiSaver; and a Land Value Tax.

Implementing the policies would require radical reform of the tax and welfare systems - a tough ask for a party which, if elected, would be a minor part of a larger coalition or Opposition.

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One of Opportunity’s key selling points is that it could go into coalition with either conservative or liberal governments.

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[Opportunity’s] poll result of 4.6% placed it within reach of Parliament. This is inherently interesting and newsworthy but yes, it is just one poll. It was the highest result for a new party in a credible, mainstream poll since Colin Craig’s Conservative Party reached the same figure in 2014 (later falling to 3.97% in the election)

Ministry of Social Development (MSD) managers are being told they can face performance management if, among other measures, their staff approve too many emergency housing requests, documents obtained by Q+A reveal.

Multiple tiers of MSD staff are subject to annual performance agreements, according to internal documentation released under the Official Information Act.

The staff receive regular grading on eleven measures, including the number of people in their region who receive emergency housing grants. Managers are rated as either "exceeding", "achieving", or "needs improvement" on each metric.

A senior psychologist at the government's bootcamp for young offenders quit the role less than two months into the start of this year's programme, RNZ can reveal.

The second intake of ten youths at the military style academy began in March and is near the end of the residential phase, with the transition into the community phase set to begin next month.

In a statement to RNZ, Oranga Tamariki wouldn't confirm the resignation saying it was unable to comment on individual employment matters, but stated the current programme had continuous clinical support and "has no staffing concerns."

The second iteration of the government's bootcamps began in March, with more staff and a longer residence phase - young people would now spend four months instead of three in the youth justice facility.

The head of Immigration New Zealand failed to tell Parliament three months ago that a $35 million IT project had been axed, telling MPs there was no public review about its progress.

Unbeknownst to the March select committee meeting, the Biometric Capability Update (BCU) project had been abandoned in November and an independent report was nearing completion.

A political firestorm erupted last week when Immigration Minister Erica Stanford revealed officials had told her things "diametrically opposed to the truth".

Labour's immigration spokesperson Phil Twyford, who was asking questions of senior officials at the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE) about the the progress of the Biometric Capability Update project in March, was outraged.

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My previous point still stands, fire all of them.

The National Party’s 90th annual conference kicked off in Lower Hutt on Saturday, with the prime minister calling the event as the start of the election campaign.

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“Get organised,” Christopher Luxon told attendees. “Because elections aren’t won in this room. They’re won on door steps ... and that work starts the moment that we all walk out of this door.”

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But the speakers, who included Luxon, party president Sylvia Wood and deputy leader Nicola Willis, spent far more time looking to the past than the future.

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“It’s about the next decade and beyond,” Wood said, before turning her comments to the previous government.

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There were no new policies or announcements on Saturday,.

Police say they are assessing comments made by Destiny Church leader Brian Tamaki after he called for a “removal” of Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus in Aotearoa.

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In a video on social media on Wednesday, Tamaki accused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi of subjecting Christians in the country to violence, which Tamaki suggested should happen here.

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“In my experience these are the actions of a scared bully,” Mitchell said.

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“We enjoy freedom of speech in our country, but with that comes responsibilities. There is a legal threshold for police to assess against, and I understand that is happening now."

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I will add that reddit's aeo filter doesn't distinguish between comments quoting Tamaki and one's own words. Everyone should be careful.

Government officials have defended using automated tools to make some decisions about people's benefits, saying it's a "no-brainer".

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The Ministry of Social Development (MSD) already allowed the "targeted" use of 'automated decision making' (ADM), but a new law rushed through Parliament last month widened its use.

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It would enable MSD to "approve the use of an automated electronic system by a specified person to make any decision, exercise any power, comply with any obligation, or take any other related action under any specified provision, with appropriate safeguards".

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Labour's Helen White noted the regulatory impact statement - which summarises the law's purpose, costs and benefits - redacted the section outlining the problem the Bill sought to solve. "So it is very, very difficult to know what is going on here."

Immigration Minister Erica Stanford has issued a scathing takedown of her ministry, saying officials "deliberately withheld" information from both her and the previous Labour government about a failed technology upgrade and used "creative accounting" to avoid scrutiny.

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Appearing before MPs at a Scrutiny Week appearance on Tuesday morning, Stanford said Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche would investigate "integrity concerns" raised by a damning review.

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I hope they are all fired.

Former National Party strategist and political commentator Matthew Hooton has been appointed editor of Stuff's The Post.

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He will step into the role later this month, replacing outgoing editor-in-chief Tracy Watkins.

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Hooton said he had been impressed by the editorial direction of The Post since its relaunch three years ago and was looking forward to joining the publication.

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"Editors need to make difficult and unpopular decisions, withstand pressure, defend journalists, take risks and publish work powerful people dislike,” he said.

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"Operating in heated political and business environments my whole working life has provided preparation for this role.

Don't freak out tomorrow, whānau.

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>The annual test of the country's emergency mobile alert system will be between 6 and 7pm on Sunday.

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>But don't panic, even if the buzzing gives you a start.

Government officials are seeking to downplay modelling that appeared to suggest a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal was not required.

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Energy Minister Simeon Brown confirmed plans this week to push ahead with procuring a LNG import facility, despite having no clear plan for how to pay for it.

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But on Thursday, RNZ reported that the Ombudsman had forced MBIE to release unredacted versions of scenario modelling under the Official Information Act.

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The unredacted documents show an external consultancy advised officials of a “low need” for a LNG facility in New Zealand.

Venus and Jupiter make a striking pair this week with a conjunction just after sunset in the northwestern skies as they move close together.

The planets are easiest to spot around 45 to 60 minutes after sunset – currently around 5.30pm to 6pm, depending on the region. They will slowly set below the horizon about two to three hours after the sun goes down.

The best time to see them will be on the evenings from now until June 11, when they will appear just 1.5° apart.

Mental health experts say some young men are now turning to increasingly extreme measures in pursuit of their ideal look, fuelled by an online trend known as "looksmaxxing".

The online movement encourages people to maximise their physical attractiveness through techniques ranging from grooming and fitness advice to more controversial practices.

For this student, it began with using cleanser and going to the gym before escalating to 'bone smashing', using a hammer to repeatedly strike parts of the face in an attempt to alter facial features.

Foodstuffs South Island is expanding its facial recognition technology to a fourth Christchurch store.

The supermarket giant says a trial from October last year to January was aimed at identifying and managing people with a history of serious and harmful in-store behaviour.

There were 531 confirmed matches with people of interest, with no one mis-identified and no false positives recorded.

The three Christchurch stores in the trial - New World St Martins, Pak'nSave Papanui and Pak'nSave Moorhouse - will continue using the technology, with New World Stanmore joining them.

The United States has announced the approval of a US$1.5 billion (NZ$2.6b) sale of MH-60R helicopters and related equipment to New Zealand.

Former Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters last August unveiled the plans to purchase five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters to replace the existing maritime fleet.

The nearly 20-metre Seahawks require three crew, can reach speeds up to 333km/h, fly up to 963km and can carry up to 1500kg.

They are armed with an Mk54 anti-submarine torpedo, AGM-114 Hellfire air-surface missiles, crew-served machine guns and Advanced Precision Kill Weapon Systems.

Collins said at the time they would "ensure New Zealand has a critical combat capable, interoperable and dependable fleet", with the Seahawks being versatile and adding combat and deterrent capability.

The South is doing very well for itself and needs more investment.

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The Government will spend $62.5 million on new classrooms and school upgrades across the South Island, including a new primary school in Lincoln South and expansions at schools in Darfield, Rolleston and Christchurch’s Somerfield.

Education Minister Erica Stanford announced the funding package during a visit to Darfield High School on Friday, saying it would deliver 59 new classrooms across the South Island and fund upgrades at several existing schools.