David Seymour pushes for privatisation, what new tenancy laws mean for renters, and a migrant charged thousands for a job then sacked within a week.
1 Seymour pushes for privatisation: 'Govt hopeless at owning things'
The ACT leader, who will become deputy prime minister later this year, gave what he billed as his "State of the Nation" address this afternoon to party supporters in Auckland.
In his speech, Seymour floated the potential to allow Kiwis to opt out of the public health system in exchange for $6000 annual payments to use for private insurance instead, and said the "government should do as little in housing as possible" when it came to owning homes.
The party leader said: "We need to get past squeamishness about privatisation and ask a simple question: If we want to be a first-world country, then are we making the best use of the government’s half a trillion dollars' plus worth of assets?
2 What the new residential tenancies law means for renters
Changes to tenancy laws are taking place from this month after the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill passed its third reading in Parliament in December.
The Government says the bill aims to encourage more rental properties onto the market.
Re: News' reporter Stephanie Ockhuysen looked at the changes. Here’s what it could mean for you:
3 Is the US really sliding into an 'oligarchy', as Biden warns?
In his farewell address, outgoing US President Joe Biden warned “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy”.
The comment suggests that, under Donald Trump’s second term as president, it will be billionaires rather than the people who shape public policy.
Australian academic Benjamin T. Jones weighs it up and explains the actual meaning of the much quoted word.
4 'Trove' of stolen items found by inquiry into rescue chopper burglary
Drugs were stolen from the Queenstown-based rescue helicopter at North Taieri airfield after it had taken a critically ill patient to Dunedin Hospital on the weekend of January 11-12. A 31-year-old man was arrested in relation on January 15.
Police executed a search warrant at a Dunedin address yesterday afternoon as a result of ongoing inquiries and recovered a "trove" of stolen items.
Constable Ashley Wilson said further charges were likely for the 31-year-old man.
5 Builder charged migrant thousands for job then sacked him after a week
Mansion-building firm 6 Meter Homes was ordered by the Employment Relations Authority to pay more than $46,000 in compensation, fines and lost wages, with its founder Wenbin (Ray) Hua to pay $6,000 of that for seeking a premium from worker Shunxu Zhou.
Zhou was recruited from Singapore and paid the equivalent of around NZD$11,700 over 2022 and 2023 to get a job and an accredited employer work visa.
He was dismissed with little explanation a week after beginning house framing work at a South Auckland work site, and his messages to Hua went unanswered on several occasions.
'INGENIOUS' DRUG SMUGGLING METHODS
Border officials intercepted about 4900kg of illegal substances last year, according to the Customs Service.
Smugglers employed various concealment tactics throughout the year, authorities alleged, from hiding more than 500kg of methamphetamine in steel beams arriving by sea cargo to disguising 10kg as wrapped gifts in an air traveller's carry-on duffle bag.
ONE VILLAGE FOR SALE
The Lake Waitaki Village on Otematata-Kurow Road, Kurow, is made up of a 585 square metre lodge, five studio suites, a café and bar with carpark, and eight three-bedroom homes.
The property was listed for sale almost 10 years ago but did not sell — despite a flurry of international attention in 2018.
Now, the property is listed for sale again, asking for buyer inquiry over $2.9 million.
SHARE ME