The Government reveals Budget 2024, Mama Hooch rapists won't be deported, and Flybuys NZ is set to close.
1 Tax cuts: Find out how much you'll get from Govt's Budget 2024
The Government has revealed its final plans for tax cuts, with average-income households getting a cut of $102 per fortnight under the revised brackets.
The changes have been long-awaited after National promised to introduce them in the election campaign last year.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis unveiled the final confirmed changes as part of the Government's Budget 2024 earlier today.
Part of her announcement included the release of a new tax calculator, which allows Kiwis to find out how much they will receive extra as a result of the revised tax brackets.
2 Budget 2024: What you need to know
Finance Minister Nicola Willis today delivered the coalition government’s first Budget since coming to power last year, including its highly anticipated tax cuts.
Click here for some of the main things that have emerged.
3 Mama Hooch rapists will not be deported after release
Christchurch rapists Danny and Roberto Jaz will not be deported when their jail terms end.
The Australian brothers were last year found guilty of rape, drugging, drink spiking, stupefying and filming women in their teens and early 20s.
More than 20 women were sexually assaulted at the men's family businesses - Mama Hooch and Venuiti.
Roberto Jaz was sentenced to 17 years in prison, while his older brother was given six months less — with a minimum non-parole period of eight years — and victims had been hoping they would be deported to Australia.
4 Bye-Byes: Flybuys NZ to close at the end of this year
Flybuys New Zealand has announced it will be closing at the end of 2024.
The customer loyalty scheme gives members points for spending at selected retailers and has been operating in New Zealand for nearly three decades. Points accrued could be used to purchase products and services from affiliated businesses.
In a post to Facebook this morning, the organisation revealed it would be closing for Kiwis at the end of this year.
The post said: “Nothing changes for now” and that members would continue earning Flybuys across its network until October 31.
5 Eight cases of monkeypox recorded in Queensland
Contact tracing is reportedly ongoing in Queensland after eight cases of mpox were recorded in the month of May.
Queensland Health told the ABC that the state had recorded its biggest cluster of the virus, but it was not linked to an outbreak found in Victoria last month.
Victoria had recorded 16 confirmed cases of mpox since April 18, with 13 of these cases locally acquired.
Seventy cases of mpox were recorded in Victoria in 2022, before the yearly total fell to eight in 2023.
ONE BUDGET ANALYSIS
National has delivered on its tax cut promises at Budget 2024, but for some, it will hardly pay for a loaf of bread, the 1News team says.
As expected, Finance Minister Nicola Willis unveiled changes to tax brackets, meaning a reduction in personal income tax for the first time since 2010, among other changes.
Willis said the tax cuts were fully funded through savings and revenue initiatives and would not add to inflation pressure.
1News political editor Maiki Sherman said National delivered on its tax cut promises.
ONE FEEL GOOD STORY
Kiwi sporting great Dame Valerie Adams has lent her support to a campaign to keep Kiwi children warm this winter.
The annual Jammies for June campaign is an initiative by Kidz First Children's Hospital at Middlemore and aims to provide 15,000 South Auckland children with pyjamas.
Retired Olympian Dame Valerie and a group of Warriors rugby league players delivered the first drop of jammies to the Kidzfirst Hospital yesterday.
Children who are patients at the hospital were delighted to spend time with their sporting heroes.
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