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☆ New Zealand's Economy Poses Challenge for Election Victor
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Oct. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

That will stiffen the challenge for the nation's two major parties, the centre-left Labour Party and the centre-right National Party, to deliver its agenda where rising prices and government debt have been hot-button election issues. “The Reserve Bank will need the government to do its bit if it is to cap the cash rate at the 5.5% it currently suggests,” analysts at Bank of New Zealand said in a note. DEBT, AND MORE DEBTThe biggest challenge for many New Zealanders is mortgage rates. At the same time government borrowing costs are increasing and the country’s ballooning current account deficit poses a risk to the country’s credit rating. Kelly Eckhold, chief economist at Westpac New Zealand said tough fiscal choices face an incoming government.

Persons: Lucy Craymer WELLINGTON, won’t, Kelly Eckhold, ”, Lucy Craymer, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: Reuters, Labour Party, National Party, Bank, Bank of New, National, Statistics New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New, Labour, NZ, Westpac New Zealand, Zealand Locations: Bank of New Zealand, New Zealand, Zealanders, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ New Zealanders start voting in Oct. 14 general election
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

REUTERS/Praveen Menon Acquire Licensing RightsWELLINGTON, Oct 2 (Reuters) - New Zealanders on Monday started voting for a new government as advance in-person balloting opened ahead of the Oct. 14 general election. Chief Electoral Officer Karl Le Quesne said in a statement that 400 polling places were open on Monday. Voting before election day has increased in popularity, and in 2020, 68% of votes were cast in advance, Le Quesne said. Overseas electronic and in-person voting at embassies opened last week for enrolled voters. New Zealand does not use mail voting but in special circumstances some people can vote electronically.

Persons: Praveen Menon, Karl Le Quesne, ”, Le Quesne, Chris Hipkins, Lucy Craymer, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: New, REUTERS, Rights, Zealanders, Overseas, National Party, Labour Party, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Wellington , New Zealand, Zealand

☆ New Zealand farmers set for right-wing protest vote over climate change policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Warning that livelihoods are at stake, farmers are looking to conservative candidates who will unwind or delay these Labour policies. The two will travel the length of New Zealand over 10 days to encourage rural communities to vote for a change. Farmers in New Zealand have staged several protests in the past two years against growing regulations and agricultural emission schemes. New Zealand will also become the first country in the world to tax farmer for methane from animals from 2025. Wayne Langford, president of farmer lobby group Federated Farmers, said recent policies had been impractical, difficult to implement and caused significant frustrations.

Persons: Praveen Menon, Bryce McKenzie, Laurie Paterson, John Deere, ”, McKenzie, Chris Hipkins, James Shaw, Wayne Langford, it's, Langford, Lucy Craymer, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, New Zealand Labour Party, Farmers, ACT, Taxpayers, Union, Curia, National, Labour, Green Party, Federated Farmers, New Zealand, Thomson Locations: Hawke's Bay , New Zealand, Southland, New Zealand, Rural, Zealanders, Netherlands, Zealand

☆ After Jacinda Ardern, a ‘Scary Time’ for Women in New Zealand Politics
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-22 | by ( Natasha Frost | More About Natasha Frost | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The last time New Zealanders voted in a general election, they were choosing between two women who were self-professed feminists. Three years later, in a sign of how sharply the pendulum has swung, they will pick between two men named Chris. Issues like pay equity, child poverty and the prevention of domestic violence and harassment have seldom featured in the current campaign. Female politicians across the spectrum now say they face extraordinary abuse from a misogynistic and sometimes scary slice of the population. Some women say they did not seek office because of safety fears.

Persons: Chris, Jacinda Ardern Organizations: Zealanders, New Zealand

☆ Factbox-New Zealand Election Shapes up as a Race of Many Parties
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

Here are the key parties and potential combinations that may emerge from the Oct. 14 general election. LIKELY BEDFELLOWS: LABOUR AND GREENSPrime Minister Chris Hipkins has headed the Labour Party since Jacinda Ardern abruptly resigned in January. But with Labour trailing the centre-right National Party 28%-39% in the latest opinion poll, it looks unlikely Hipkins can hold onto power alone. POTENTIAL KINGMAKERSWinston Peters and his populist New Zealand First party are campaigning with slogans such as "Let’s take the country back." In the past it supported a National government, but Luxon has said he would not work with the Maori party.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Jacinda Ardern, Hipkins, Christopher Luxon, KINGMAKERS Winston Peters, Pati, Luxon, Lucy Craymer, William Mallard Organizations: Reuters, Zealanders, LABOUR, GREENS, Labour Party, Labour, National, Green Party, Greens, ACT, ZEALAND, ACT New Zealand, Air New Zealand, New Zealand

☆ Factbox-New Zealand Voters' Top Issues in October General Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-14 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Chris Hipkins, who took the prime minister's post in January after Jacinda Ardern stepped down, has nudged his Labour Party towards the centre, focusing on what he terms "bread and butter issues". The opposition National Party has blamed Labour for rising costs and is promising, if elected, to cut taxes and bring inflation under control. Given New Zealand's ever-increasing building costs, poor housing stock and overcrowding, however, supply continues to fall short of demand. The National Party has proposed unlocking more land for housing, providing incentives for councils to build more houses and creating new infrastructure financing tools. The National Party says it will encourage trade and investment, increase the skilled labour force and cut red tape.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Jacinda Ardern, Hipkins, Lucy Craymer, Edmund Klamann Organizations: Reuters, New Zealanders, Labour, National, Labour Party, National Party, Zealand's Labour Locations: New, New Zealand, China, Pacific, Solomon, South Pacific, Britain

☆ New Zealand forecasts much larger budget deficit but improved economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/David Gray/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsWELLINGTON, Sept 12 (Reuters) - New Zealand’s government on Tuesday predicted a larger budget deficit but better-than-expected economic conditions in the year ahead, as it updated forecasts heading into the October election. The government forecast a budget deficit of NZ$11.4 billion ($6.7 billion) for the year ending June 30, 2024, much larger than a deficit of NZ$7.6 billion estimated in May. The global economy has deteriorated since May, which is having a direct impact on New Zealand's economy while tax revenue is also falling, Finance Minister Grant Robertson said in a statement. "Treasury’s latest forecasts show the economy isn’t working for Kiwis," said National Party leader Christopher Luxon. ($1 = 1.6926 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Lucy Craymer; Editing by Sam Holmes and Edwina GibbsOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: David Gray, Grant Robertson, Robertson, ", Christopher Luxon, Lucy Craymer, Sam Holmes, Edwina Gibbs Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Finance, Zealanders, Treasury, Kiwis, National Party, Reserve Bank of New, Zealand, Thomson Locations: Wellington , New Zealand, Reserve Bank of New Zealand

☆ Battle of best nines past and present in World Cup opener
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jasper Shine | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dupont, 26, enters his second World Cup as captain of an expectant host nation and widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, certainly pre-eminent among test halfbacks. This game is not about me against him, it is about me doing my role for the team." Smith conceded that New Zealand, like all teams, would have special plans to defuse the threat of the 2021 World Rugby Player of the Year's fearless running. According to statistics published in the Times, since the 2019 World Cup Dupont has had 9.5 carries and made an average of 44 metres per 80 minutes. "They're the most beautiful team to watch, a team that generations and generations have dreamed of," he told reporters on Wednesday.

Persons: scrumhalves Antoine Dupont, Aaron Smith, Dupont, Smith, Antoine Dupont, he's, " Smith, Nick Mulvenney, Toby Davis Organizations: New, Times, Blacks, Zealand, Thomson Locations: France, New Zealand, Japan, Zealand, Zealanders

☆ New Zealand's opposition vows to shake up central bank, as it leads in polls
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) building in Wellington, New Zealand, on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023. New Zealand's central bank could have its policy goals narrowed significantly and be subject to an external review if the center-right National Party opposition wins election this year, as political scrutiny of the bank intensifies. As the country heads to an election in October, opinion polls show the opposition leading the center-left Labor government, which has held office since 2017. National's platform includes returning the Reserve Bank of New Zealand's, or RBNZ, goal to a single target of keeping inflation between 1% and 3% and jettisoning recent additions of an employment mandate. "New Zealanders need confidence that the Reserve Bank will not deprioritize inflation in the pursuit of other goals," National finance spokesperson Nicola Willis said in an emailed response to questions from Reuters.

Persons: Nicola Willis Organizations: Bank of New Zealand, National Party, Labor, Reserve Bank of New, Reserve Bank, National, Reuters Locations: Wellington , New Zealand, New

☆ New Zealand scraps last of its Covid restrictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

“While our case numbers will continue to fluctuate, we have not seen the dramatic peaks that characterized COVID-19 rates last year,” the health minister added. Covid has put considerably less pressure on the health care system this winter, New Zealand’s current season, with cases accounting for just 2.2% of recent hospital admissions, according to the government. “If New Zealand had had a similar rate of Covid-19 mortality as the United States, we would be reporting around 15,000 deaths from Covid,” he argued. As health minister during much of the pandemic Hipkins was closely associated with the zero-Covid controls. New Zealand goes to the polls in October, and Labour are facing a stiff challenge from the center-right opposition National Party.

Persons: Ayesha Verrall, ” Verrall, Covid, we’re, Chris Hipkins, ”, Hipkins, Jacinda Ardern Organizations: CNN, Zealand, Health, Zealanders, Labour Party, Labour, National Party, Australia Locations: . New Zealand, Zealand, United States, Covid, Wellington

☆ New Zealand removes final COVID-19 restrictions
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

A testing site for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is seen in Wellington, New Zealand, March 11, 2022. REUTERS/Lucy Craymer/File PhotoWELLINGTON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - New Zealand's government will lift all remaining COVID-19 requirements from midnight Tuesday, bringing an end to some of the toughest COVID-19 pandemic rules in the world more than three years after they were put in place. “While our case numbers will continue to fluctuate, we have not seen the dramatic peaks that characterised COVID-19 rates last year. This, paired with the population’s immunity levels, means Cabinet and I am advised we’re positioned to safely remove the remaining COVID-19 requirements,” Verrall said. Most of the restrictions were removed last year as vaccination rates reached high levels and the country’s hospitals successfully navigated a winter without being overwhelmed.

Persons: Lucy Craymer, Ayesha Verrall, we’re, ” Verrall, Chris Hipkins, ”, Lincoln Organizations: REUTERS, Zealand, Health, Thomson Locations: Wellington , New Zealand

☆ In New Zealand, defence and security become election issues amid China’s Pacific push
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

“Foreign policy, defence, our relationship with the Pacific - all of that will be far more relevant and the public will be more conscious of it compared to other elections, where it's been pretty much non-existent,” said Josie Pagani, a political commentator and host of the pre-election foreign policy debate. Sixty-three percent of voters say inflation and the cost of living are a most important issues of the election, a poll by the Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor released in June said. A second survey released last week by the country’s national intelligence and security board found increasing levels of concern about defence, security and foreign policy. Foreign policy doesn't usually play in New Zealand elections, said Jason Young, an associate professor of international relations and politics at Victoria University. The opposition National party, which polls indicate will win control of the government, hasn’t released its defence policy and said it needs more detail about AUKUS.

Persons: it's, ”, Josie Pagani, Andrew Little, “, Chris Seed, Jason Young, Helen Clark, Nanaia Mahuta, hasn’t, Gerry Brownlee, Lucy Craymer, Gerry Doyle Organizations: WELLINGTON, ”, Foreign Affairs, Trade, Victoria University, Washington, Labour, National, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, China, Solomon, Ukraine, Pacific, Zealand, United States, Australia, Britain, “, AUKUS, Zealanders

☆ New Zealand says it is aware of China-linked intelligence activity in country
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-10 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

JADE GAO/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoWELLINGTON, Aug 11 (Reuters) - New Zealand is aware of intelligence activity linked to China in and against the island nation and the Pacific region, it said in a report released on Friday. "This is a complex intelligence concern for New Zealand," the New Zealand Security Intelligence Service (NZSIS) said in the annual report. The report also highlighted "foreign interference" activity from Iran and Russia. The report added that, more broadly, the international security environment in which New Zealand operates is now more challenging and less predictable than in recent decades. The intelligence report also noted that technological innovation, global economic instability and declining social trust also posed threats.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Premier Li Qiang, JADE, Alexei Navalny, Andrew Hampton, NZSIS, Lucy Craymer, Richard Chang, Muralikumar Organizations: Zealand, Premier, of, People, JADE GAO, New Zealand, New Zealand Security Intelligence Service, New, Russian Embassy, Thomson Locations: Beijing, New Zealand, China, New, Wellington, Australia, Britain, Canada, United States, Iran, Russia, Iranian, Russian

☆ The genius plan that could bring down skyrocketing home prices
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-07 | by ( Eliza Relman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

Not only did this help to slow down skyrocketing housing costs, it inspired a bipartisan, nationwide expansion of the policy. Home prices in Auckland, New Zealand's biggest city, doubled between 2009 and 2016 and prices across the rest of the country followed close behind. "A typical New Zealand city looks a lot like a typical US city," Gray said. There are three models of housing construction in US cities right now, Gray said. "In terms of an overall objective, I think bringing down house prices to construction costs is an ultimate sign of housing abundance."

Persons: Upzoning, Jenny Schuetz, Matthew Maltman, who's, Ryan Greenaway, Guo Lei, Maltman, There's, Auckland's upzoning, Vicki Been, Bill de Blasio, Schuetz, Nolan Gray, Gray, let's, Brett Coomer, that's, Allison Zaucha, Freemark, we're, Emily Hamilton, Eliza Relman Organizations: Brookings Institute, Auckland, Economic, University of Auckland, New, National Party, Housing, Economic Development, New Zealand, California YIMBY, Urban Institute, Houston, Montana Republicans, George Mason University Locations: New Zealand, Auckland, Australian, Zealand, Auckland , New, New Zealand's, New York, Europe, California, Zealanders, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Phoenix, Houston, Atlanta, Denver, Seattle, Washington, Portland , Oregon, Montana, California . Utah, Minneapolis, New York City

☆ How New Zealand's plan for English and te reo Māori road signs took an unexpected turn
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( Chris Lau | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

But plans to introduce bilingual road signs featuring both the English and te reo Maori languages have sparked a divisive, racially charged debate ahead of the country’s looming general election. Slightly less than a quarter of New Zealand’s 892,200 Maori speak te reo Maori as one of their first languages, according to the latest government data. Part of the reason that te reo Maori is not so widely spoken is that back in New Zealand’s colonial era there were active efforts to stamp it out. The Native Schools Act 1867 required schools to teach in English where possible and children were often physically punished for speaking te reo Maori. “The primary objective of these standards is to guarantee that all road signs are unambiguous, uniform, and legible to all,” he said.

Persons: Simeon Brown, Chris Hipkins, “ I’m, ”, Marty Melville, Awanui Te, Tania Ka’ai, “, ” Ka’ai, –, Kasem Choocharukul, Kasem, Huw Fairclough, James Griffiths ,, Puakea Nogelmeier, Nogelmeier Organizations: CNN, reo, Zealand, Waka, NZ Transport Agency, New, National, Labour Party government, National Party, Labour, Getty, Native, Victoria University of Wellington, Zealanders, The International, Language, Auckland University of Technology, Chulalongkorn University, Research, University of Leeds, Wales –, New Zealand, Welsh, Welsh Language Society, Gaelic, Constitutional Convention, Hawaiian, University of Hawaii, Hawaii’s Department of Transportation, Wales Locations: Aotearoa, Wellington , New Zealand, AFP, New, New Zealand, Zealanders, Wales, United Kingdom, Thailand, Tredegar , Wales, Republic of Ireland, Hawaii, Olelo Hawai’i, Llanfair, Anglesey, Europe, Hawke’s

SYDNEY/AUCKLAND, July 20 (Reuters) - Australia and New Zealand will open the ninth Women's World Cup co-hosted by the two nations on Thursday, despite a shooting near the Norwegian team hotel in New Zealand's largest city of Auckland that left three dead and six injured. Tracey Taylor, a professor of sports management at RMIT University in Melbourne, said many members of grassroots football clubs expected the tournament to have a transformative effect for participation in women’s sport in Australia. Several participating nations, including tournament heavyweights England and Spain, have been in dispute with their administrators over working conditions and pay in recent months. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many New Zealanders to experience a top-tier FIFA World Cup event,” he said. Reporting by Alasdair Pal in Sydney; Additional reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney and Philip O'Connor in Stockholm; Editing by Lincoln Feast.

Persons: Chris Hipkins, Maren Mjelde, Sydney –, Tracey Taylor, ”, Sam Kerr, Anthony Albanese, Fatma, “, Grant Robertson, “ It’s, Alasdair Pal, Renju Jose, Philip O'Connor, Lincoln Organizations: SYDNEY, Police, New Zealand, New Zealand’s Football Ferns, Norway, Gang, Australia, RMIT University, England, rugby, Blacks, FIFA’s, Kiwis, Zealand, Wednesday, FIFA, Thomson Locations: AUCKLAND, Australia, New Zealand, Norwegian, New Zealand's, Auckland, Eden, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Sydney, England, Melbourne, Spain, France, Zealanders, Stockholm

☆ New Zealand's finance chief denies pandering to voters' cost-of-living concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Clement Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

New Zealand's finance minister has denied the country's new budget is aimed at placating voters ahead of the country's next general election in October. Asked if the budget was short-term thinking to spend and worry about inflation and high deficits later, Grant Robertson replied: "On no, we're absolutely doing both of those things at the same time." New Zealand is also not projected to return to surplus until 2025-2026, a year later than previously forecast. The Treasury sees inflation slowing to 3.3% by mid-2024, from the current blistering 6.7% pace. "We very much had in mind to making sure that this budget contributed to inflation coming down."

☆ New Zealand set to reveal bigger deficit in 'no frills' 2023-24 budget
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, May 16 (Reuters) - New Zealand Labour government is set to reveal a worse budget bottom line and economic outlook on Thursday as it delivers what it calls a “no frills” 2023-24 budget to avoid fuelling inflation. Since coming into power, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has cut costly programmes and reiterated the government’s plans to return to “bread and butter issues”. They’ll see that’s what we’ve done in the budget,” Hipkins said at his weekly Monday press conference. The country was hit by two significant weather events at the start of the year that caused an estimated NZ$9 billion and NZ$14.5 billion in damage. “The Budget packages will likely be more targeted, appearing more fiscally responsible and prudent,” Smith added.

☆ Eleanor Catton on ‘Birnam Wood’
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

On this week’s podcast, Catton tells the host Gilbert Cruz how that early success affected her writing life (not much) as well as her life outside of writing (her marriage made local headlines, for one thing). She also discusses her aims for the new book and grapples with the slippery nature of New Zealand’s national identity. “You very often hear New Zealanders defining their country in the negative rather than in the positive,” she says. … I think that that’s solidified over time into this kind of very odd sense of supremacy, actually. So if you’re a reader who prefers to be taken by surprise, you may want to finish “Birnam Wood” before you finish this episode.

☆ New Zealand committed to cutting spending, PM Hipkins says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Lucy Craymer | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WELLINGTON, April 27 (Reuters) - The New Zealand government is committed to reducing spending even though severe weather events earlier this year caused asset damage of roughly NZ$9 billion ($5.51 billion) to NZ$14.5 billion, Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Thursday. “For our part, the government is committed to reducing our proportion of spending to dampen demand in the economy,” Hipkins said in a speech to the Employers and Manufacturers Association. New Zealand is already dealing with historically high inflation and the central bank has previously raised concerns that any boost in government spending could add to the inflation problem. Hipkins said his aim is to get government spending down to around the low thirties as a percentage of GDP. ($1 = 1.6343 New Zealand dollars)Reporting by Lucy Craymer Editing by Alasdair PalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ ‘Best Friends’ Australia and New Zealand Patch Up a Major Difference
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Natasha Frost | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Hundreds of New Zealanders were about to take an oath to become Australian citizens, and cheering them on in their pursuit of dual citizenship was the head of the New Zealand government. Australia was about to reverse a two-decade-old policy and restore rights for the almost 700,000 New Zealanders living in Australia to easily gain citizenship, putting them on par with Australian migrants across the Tasman Sea in New Zealand. Australia and New Zealand often describe each other as their closest international partners. The new center-left government in Australia, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, has taken steps to address these issues. At the citizenship ceremony on Sunday in Brisbane, Australia, Chris Hipkins, the prime minister of New Zealand, said his presence was a sign of the “bonds that bind us all together.” That sentiment was later echoed by Clare O’Neil, Australia’s home affairs minister: “Our Kiwi cousins are our very best friends in the world.”

☆ Australia eases pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Australia announced on Saturday a direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders living in the country, reversing controversial visa rules a day before a visit by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Hipkins, set to visit Queensland state’s capital Brisbane on Sunday, hailed the move as “the biggest improvement in the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia in a generation”. “Kiwis taking up Australian citizenship will still retain their New Zealand citizenship. The changes also meant children born in Australia since July to an Australia-based New Zealand parent would be automatically entitled to Australian citizenship, he said. Around 670,000 New Zealand citizens live in Australia, while there are around 70,000 Australians in New Zealand, according to Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

☆ Australia unveils direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, April 22 (Reuters) - Australia announced on Saturday a direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders living in the country, reversing controversial visa rules a day before a visit by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins. Hipkins, set to visit Queensland state's capital Brisbane on Sunday, hailed the move as "the biggest improvement in the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia in a generation". "Kiwis taking up Australian citizenship will still retain their New Zealand citizenship. The changes also meant children born in Australia since July to an Australia-based New Zealand parent would be automatically entitled to Australian citizenship, he said. Around 670,000 New Zealand citizens live in Australia, while there are around 70,000 Australians in New Zealand, according to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

☆ Children cat-killing contest axed following backlash in New Zealand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A contest planned for children in New Zealand to hunt and kill feral cats as part of a drive to protect native species has been axed following backlash from the public and animal rights groups. In neighboring Australia, authorities say feral cats threaten the survival of more than 100 native species. Feral cats are blamed for killing millions of birds, reptiles, frogs and mammals, every day, prompting authorities to arrange regular culls. The New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals said it was “both pleased and relieved” that the cat-killing contest for children had been removed. Blackie, who has studied feral cats for two decades, said numbers had exploded in the last decade, and in some areas where pests were tracked by camera, feral cats outnumbered other species like possums.

☆ Contest for Children to Hunt Feral Cats Is Scrapped in New Zealand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Yan Zhuang | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A hunting contest in rural New Zealand where children were to compete to kill the greatest number of feral cats for a cash prize has been canceled after a backlash from animal rights organizations. New Zealand, an island nation, has aggressively tried to control invasive species from overwhelming its native wildlife. But culling feral cats remains divisive, and the planned hunt inflamed debate about the morality of the practice and how children should be taught about invasive species management. While New Zealanders broadly agree that feral cats need to be controlled, he said, “the issue is that it kind of touches on all these broader ethical issues: Should kids be the one killing cats? The cat-culling event was new this year, and it was open to children under the age of 14, with the winner receiving 250 New Zealand dollars, or about $155, according to Facebook posts by the North Canterbury Hunting Competition.

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