The Latest Breaking News from Newsroom.co.nz

After a long legal fight the fuel giant, consumer and environmental groups find one thing to agree on: the Govt must step up to ensure NZ's emissions targets are achieved, they say. Jonathan Milne reports.

Labour has agreed to campaign on a capital gains tax (CGT) covering just property – excluding the family home and farms – to help fund three free doctor visits for everyone. The policy was announced abruptly on Tuesday morning after RNZ was earlier leaked details over the long weekend. RNZ…

The day will come when the big oil tanks on the headland south of Whangārei will no longer contain petroleum; when the site’s owner will get out of fossil fuels entirely, says Channel Infrastructure chief executive Rob Buchanan. But that day is still decades away and so, this month, he…

Analysis: It’s only taken 13 years! But this afternoon, health ministers are expected to announce a compromise that shares responsibility for procuring $1.5b of medical devices a year. Simeon Brown and his associate David Seymour are seeking to stamp their authority on Health NZ and Pharmac, after the agencies and their predecessors…

Ministers are set to announce a package of energy reforms tomorrow morning, based loosely on recommendations from a long-awaited report by international consultancy Frontier Economics. It’s understood the Government has stopped well short of the radical shake-up sought by NZ First and its associate energy minister, Shane Jones. At present…

This coming month, New Zealand could elect two Karen Morgans as mayor – one in Mackenzie District, one in Hutt City. But these aren’t the pejorative stereotype ‘Karens’; rather than complaining about the problems in their communities, they’re stepping up to make a difference. Mackenzie’s Karen Morgan, who’s been acting…

Ruapehu District Council was hailed a “ratepayer hero” by the Taxpayers’ Union lobby group last week. That was because the small North Island council managed an unexpected $700,000 overspend by cutting services and infrastructure investment, rather than hiking rates and fees.  But, highlighting the difficult balancing act between high rates…

The use of standardised, repeatable designs has become a Government mantra – and the education minister says that all started with her project to cut costs by building modular classrooms. "We've halved the cost of building a classroom," she tells Newsroom. "And I can see other ministers looking at us,…

The topic of US exceptionalism has been prominent over the last few years. It’s been a richly deserved moniker given America’s resilient economy, strong corporate profits and leadership in artificial intelligence. However, things may be starting to change.