Home Blog Page 178

Christopher Luxon’s Pacific tour: Investments, politics and laughs at his own expense

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Analysis – On his first Pacific trip as prime minister, Christopher Luxon celebrated international relationships, focused on trade and business, and threw in a few ‘bald’ jokes too.

Christopher Luxon with his wife Amanda (right). Photo: RNZ/Giles Dexter

A trip to the Pacific is an easy way for a prime minister to get some space.

With a backdrop of coconut trees, beaches, and harbours at his press conferences, Christopher Luxon could re-route any difficult post-Budget questions towards his ministers back home.

Luxon says he returns from his first Pacific mission to Niue and Fiji excited and inspired, having ticked off everything he wanted to achieve: renewed friendships, some meaningful investment, and more targets set.

These were not places where a New Zealand prime minister could expect to receive a welcome anything less than warm.

These are not trips where the prime minister can expect to face particularly tough challenges. Instead, they are heavy on the vibe.

When asked what his main takeaway was, Luxon said he was “really excited about the Pacific region and the potential of it, now we’ve got to all work together and make it happen”.

The trip allowed Luxon to put some runs on the board.

He made a point that he had already spoken to many Pacific leaders as they passed through Auckland, or over Zoom. But this was the first chance to stand next to them and share their visions for the next stages of the relationship.

Luxon frequently shared jokes with the other leaders in the middle of press conferences, or some good-natured sport ribbing – usually at his own expense, or at the Crusaders’.

A celebration of 50 years of Niue’s free association with New Zealand allowed for reflection and future planning, with a commitment to help the island nation transition to renewable energy.

His visit to Fiji saw the setting of a trade goal, and then a full day to get out and sell it to businesses.

The thorny issues were pushed aside, left for later, and addressed if not quite answered.

Luxon’s approach to foreign policy is to secure commitments around trade and enterprise. He sees the Indo-Pacific as the main area New Zealand should focus on, and believes that if New Zealand can make tangible contributions to another country’s economy, then that will give it the edge when other countries come knocking.

At times, it felt like a return to the campaign. In fact, that was often the point.

Luxon would frequently greet people, including senior ministers, with a “there he is” or a “hello, I’m Chris,” asking about their day and, particularly with other bald men, asking whether they shared the same barber.

Christopher Luxon planting a coconut tree in Niue.

Christopher Luxon planting a coconut tree in Niue. Photo: RNZ/Giles Dexter

A community lunch at a village in Niue, attended by Sir Michael Jones, allowed Luxon to cut loose and dance, while Niue’s Speaker Hima Douglas, a man of many talents, led the band.

The motorcade route from Suva’s airport to the sevusevu ceremony was dotted with enormous billboards of Luxon’s face, welcoming him to Fiji. There was some thought around whether the prime minister, who is teetotal, would partake in the kava, but he drank it with aplomb (and a grimace).

A visit to Tower Insurance ended with the entire floor of identically dressed call centre operators getting up and revealing they were also a choir.

So focused was Luxon on the handshakes and waving that at one point, after the Tower visit, he greeted his own wife, who was accompanying him on the job for the first time overseas, with the same “hello, nice to see you” cadence he had said to everyone else all morning, before quickly realising.

But the trip was also about reminding other countries investing in the Pacific that Luxon sees New Zealand as the dominant partner.

China may have contributed to Niue’s roads and the government vehicles driving on them. But Luxon saw investment in Niue’s energy as its most pressing need, with New Zealand donating $20.5 million to ensure 80 percent of Niue’s energy is renewable.

While he believes it sends a message that New Zealand is the Pacific’s partner-of-choice, some in Niue were agnostic of where the money came from, as long as it came.

Christopher Luxon & Niuean PM Dalton Tagelagi

Christopher Luxon and Niuean PM Dalton Tagelagi. Photo: RNZ/Giles Dexter

Niue Premier Dalton Tagelagi acknowledged that Niue was trying not to be so reliant on New Zealand for support, and was friends with everyone.

So resolutely committed to targets back home, Luxon is also setting them overseas.

Talks with Sitiveni Rabuka led to a target of $2 billion in two-way trade by 2030. Luxon said Fiji had demonstrated a desire to boost other sectors and not rely solely on tourism, and he then used every chance he got to sell that message.

A speech to Fijian and New Zealand business leaders in Nadi saw the two leaders in lockstep. As Rabuka talked of his government’s commitments to cutting red tape, Luxon, sat a few metres away, nodded and smiled. His own speech minutes later also spoke of removing red tape.

Speaking after the conference, Luxon said he felt very aligned with Rabuka.

“The challenges that Fiji encounters and the challenges we have at home, we’ve all got to deal with and face up to as leaders and find pathways to take it forward,” he said.

“We do feel we’ve got a good partner here. And I think they feel the same way about us.”

There will be plenty of countries on future itineraries where Luxon faces stronger challenges from leaders less aligned.

Luxon was also keen to highlight the centrality of the Pacific Islands Forum in any discussions around overseas investment and the influence of other nations, and that regional challenges require regional solutions.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon watching a Sevens game between the NZDF and Fiji DF, with Fiji's PM Sitiveni Rabuka.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon watching a Sevens game between the NZDF and Fiji DF, with Fiji PM Sitiveni Rabuka. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter

Questions on the influence of China and the US in the Pacific, or the willingness of New Zealand to explore joining the non-nuclear part of the AUKUS agreement, were given the same answers Luxon gives back in New Zealand (an answer from Rabuka that Fiji would actually be in favour of AUKUS was later backtracked with an explanation from his press team that the prime minister had not understood the question).

“My conversations with all major power countries that have come into the region, whether it’s been the US, China, France, EU, UK, India, Japan, has been, look they are all fantastic aid partners and development partners for many of the Pacific island nations,” Luxon said.

“But it’s just important that they come through the front door and work with PIF, given that’s a very important body that I want to see esteemed and actually managing the affairs of the Pacific.”

Some other pressing needs, such as drug trafficking through Fiji, or going further on visas, were addressed with a promise to do more, but no funding or timelines.

In fact, some of the thorniest issues of all to deal with were left just a couple of hours before his final flight back to Auckland.

After news of Australia’s changes to immigration policy, a stand-up was hastily organised, with Luxon explaining he was not given a heads-up and regretted the stance Australia had taken.

Then, shortly after, with the media delegation already on the plane and about to turn on flight mode, the Electoral Commission revealed it had referred National MP David MacLeod to police over his failure to report donations.

Welcome back to New Zealand, prime minister.

Back to the winter chill, and back to the tough talks.

Appeal court upholds life sentence for prisoner who exported 29kg meth from Tonga to New Zealand

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A prisoner who is serving a life sentence after sending illicit drugs to New Zealand, has failed in his effort to have the sentence overturned.

Nomani Kama Manulevu

Nomani Kama Manulevu, 46, was sent to jail for the unlawful exportation of 29.7kg of methamphetamine that was concealed in a refrigerated container to New Zealand in 2021.

He is the first person to receive a mandatory life sentence under the kingdom’s new amendments to the Illicit Drugs Control Act introduced in December 2020

The Court of Appeal declined Manulevu’s appeal, saying there was no risk of a miscarriage of justice.

“A matter being proved “beyond reasonable doubt” and the jury being ‘sure’ of it, were used interchangeably, as synonyms. This ground of appeal is not established”, the recent decision said.

Justice Cooper sentenced Manulevu of Nukuhetulu to life imprisonment after he was found guilty by a jury on 10 August 2023.

“The new provisions provide that a person convicted of importing or exporting a class A illicit drug such as methamphetamine or cocaine, above a certain weight, will receive a mandatory life imprisonment sentence”. Mr Cooper said at the time.

In July 2021, the New Zealand Police and Customs located methamphetamine in a container from Tonga.

Manulevu was responsible to its owner for loading it. He was asked by the director of the operation, Ronnie Kivalu to retrieve two bags from a house at Tatakamotonga and load them into the container.

Manulevu’s admission to the house was facilitated by contact from Ronnie Kivalu’s wife Jessie Forbes to the occupier Sione Ongolea. He admitted Manulevu and Manulevu retrieved the bags. They contained the drugs which ended up in the container.

The bags were in a locked room at the house. Manulevu unlocked the room and then locked himself inside. On the evidence of Sione this was for three minutes, before emerging with the two bags and locking the door behind him.

The Appeal Court said the only issue in the case was whether Manulevu was shown beyond reasonable doubt to have known that the bags he retrieved from the house contained illicit drugs of some description. It was a circumstantial case.

Manulevu’s lawyer, David Corbett, argued, among other grounds, that the Judge was misleading the jury in the summing-up when he said: “Put all the evidence together and you can be sure he knew there was some form of illicit drugs when he put them in the container”.

However, the Court of Appeal said: “In no way was the Judge misleading or overbearing the jury”.

Tongatapu rapist fails to appeal conviction

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A man attempting to overturn his conviction for rape and assault has failed to convince the Court of Appeal that a trial judge wrongly influenced the jury.

Siotame Hafoka was convicted of rape, and two counts of indecent assault, at the Nuku’alofa Supreme Court in 2022,

Hafoka appealed on the basis that the sexual activity did occur but was consensual.

The court was told that the complainant wished to arrange a loan. Her parents suggested she approach Hafoka. She did so, with prepared documentation.

At his workplace, Hafoka locked the door, and forced her to the back of the shop, where he licked her vagina and raped her.

She escaped on a pretext and went straight to the Central Police Station. She was then too distressed to give a statement but was examined at the hospital.

Her first statement was taken the next day, 3 March 2022.

Hafoka then handed himself in to the police. He gave a comprehensive account, claiming the encounter was consensual.

He subsequently offered the complainant money by way of apology and requested she drop the charges. She at once reported this to the police.

Hafoka’s interview was followed by his being charged with rape and indecent assault.

The charge sheet is in Tongan, with a caution in Tongan and English. It was attached to the record of interview, in which Hafoka said that the sexual activity was consensual.

On the charge sheet, following the caution, he wrote “Io Mo’oni”. The prosecution contended that was an acknowledgment of the truth of the charges.

The defence position was that he was acknowledging the truth of the record of interview in which he denied lack of consent.

In their decision, the Appeal Judges said:  

“It remained for the jury to determine the verdict.

The grounds of appeal are not established and we do not perceive any material risk of a miscarriage of justice. The appeal is dismissed”. .

National MP David MacLeod’s donations referred to police

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

The Electoral Commission has handed investigation of National MP for New Plymouth David MacLeod’s failure to report $178,394 in donations to police.

In a statement on Friday, the Commission said MacLeod’s original candidate return for the 2023 General Election on 13 February 2024 disclosed $29,268 in donations from seven separate donors.

David MacLeod Photo: RNZ

“On 20 May 2024, the Commission received an amended return. The total donations disclosed in the amended return are $207,662 from 24 separate donors.”

MacLeod – a backbench MP – unveiled the “inadvertent error” last month, and was stood down immediately from his roles on the Environment and Finance select committees.

He said he thought the return he was filing was for the 2023 year only, so left out 18 donation he had received when he became a candidate the previous year.

He also failed to disclose a $10,000 donation from 2023, which he said was a mistake he could not explain.

He said he “always fully intended for these donations to be made public” and had never tried to hide them, having written to all donors indicating amounts over $1500 would be disclosed.

The Commission confirmed the matter had been referred to police. It previously said this would be done “if in our view there has been a breach of the Electoral Act”.

“As this matter is now with the Police, the Electoral Commission will not be commenting further.”

Police will now investigate whether laws were broken, and consider any possible prosecution.

Two million Lotto tickets expected to sell ahead of Saturday’s $50m Powerball draw

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Two million tickets are expected to be sold for Saturday’s must-be-won $50 million Powerball draw, Lotto says.

If it is won by a single person, it will be the largest prize in Lotto’s history.

Lotto head of corporate communications Lucy Fullarton said no matter what, the jackpot would not roll over.

“Well our game rules say that if the jackpot gets to $50m it can’t rollover – it has to be won that night,” Fullarton said.

“So if it’s not won by a single ticket – if no one single person gets all seven numbers right – then it rolls down to the next division and if it’s more than one person it’s shared equally between them.”

It is only the third time a must-be-won draw of $50m had been reached.

Tickets were selling well, Fullarton said.

“It looks like we’re on track to have about two million sold for Saturday’s draw, which is a lot more than we sold on Wednesday … 1.7 million.”

The first Powerball $50m jackpot was struck in February 2020, when two winners won $25.1m each.

Another $50m must-be-won draw then took place six months later in August 2020 with the prize rolling down to Powerball Second Division.

It was shared by 10 winners, who each received $5.02m.

Men flew from Australia to NZ to pick up $7.65m worth of cocaine, police say

By
Kaniva Staff
-
The drugs seized by police. Photo: Supplied / Police

Two men who allegedly flew to New Zealand from Australia to pick up $7.65 million worth of cocaine have been arrested.

Detective Inspector Tom Gollan said the men were found on 1 June at a commercial address in Auckland’s Onehunga.

They were arrested after they allegedly attempted to break into a container where 17 kilograms of cocaine had been placed.

Gollan said the men were believed to be members of an organised crime syndicate and that they only came to New Zealand to pick up the drugs.

One man is an Australian national while the other is New Zealand-born but living in Australia.

Gollan said they were arrested as they left the container yard on electric scooters.

Detective Inspector Tom Gollan, from Police’s National Organised Crime Group, says Police alongside our partners at New Zealand Customs Service, have dismantled an Australian Transnational Organised Crime (TNOC) cell under Operation Matrix. In the process, cocaine at a retail value of $7.65 million has been prevented from communities in either Australia or New Zealand.

The drugs were concealed in a container, police say. Photo: Supplied / Police

“They left behind a ladder they had transported to the yards by way of the scooters.

“Both men, aged 33 and 42, have since been charged with burglary and the possession for supply of cocaine.”

An investigation has shown the container made its way to New Zealand from Brazil, having transited through Brisbane in Australia before arriving at the Port of Auckland in late May.

Police said the value of the cocaine was $7.65m but it was not known if it was meant for the New Zealand or Australian market.

“This is the 26th TNOC Operational Cell that has been identified and dismantled since 2017,” Gollan said.

“It is disconcerting to see overseas transnational organised groups insert their people into New Zealand to facilitate these crimes and demonstrates their willingness to profit from community misery.

“While these TNOC groups continue to evolve and adapt their offending to avoid detection, but so do we, and yet again we were one rung ahead of them.”

Customs manager Dominic Adams said the “successful seizure” showed partner agencies like police and Customs are always one step ahead of criminal groups.

“We are ever-vigilant to stopping the harm that dangerous substances such as cocaine can cause our communities.”

The two men have appeared in the Auckland District Court and will next appear on 25 June.

Houses shot at in Auckland’s Onehunga, Māngere East

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

A house has been shot at in Auckland’s Onehunga, while there was also a second gunfire incident in Māngere East overnight.

Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell

Officers were called to reports of gunfire on Haddon Street in Māngere at about 11pm.

There is a large police presence at the scene this morning, and a number of bullet holes can be seen in the window of the house.

A nearby resident said the shooting had come out of the blue and was worrying, especially for those with children.

“It’s a worry what’s happening in the community,” he said.

Police say no injuries have been reported, and anyone with information should get in contact.

House in Haddon St in Māngere East hit by gunfire

Police at the scene in Māngere this morning. Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell

It was the second shooting at an Auckland property overnight, with another house shot at in Onehunga earlier in the evening.

Officers were called to an an address on Ahuwhenua Crescent after receiving reports of gunshots about 10.30pm.

“Thankfully, no injuries have been reported in relation to this matter,” Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend of the Auckland City crime squad said.

The suspected offenders had left the area before officers arrived on the scene.

However, police were following leads “which includes reviewing a significant amount of available CCTV footage in and around the area”.

An RNZ reporter at the scene could see an apple sized hole in the garage door of one of the apartments.

Garage door hit by bullet in Onehunga

The apartment that was shot at. Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell

Neighbour Dani was visiting her sister at the time of the incident.

“There was a massive bang like a massive shot. At first we thought it was just like metal or something like that but once we came outside the neighbours came up and said there were men with rifles who had shot through the garage of next door,” she said.

Her sister had lived at her house for two years and nothing similar had happened before.

Another resident said it was usually a very quiet area.

There would be more officers in the area during the day, Friend said.

There are also reports of a second incident involving gunshots occurred in Haddon St in Māngere East shortly after 11pm.

An RNZ reporter at the scene said stickers on the windows show where the gunshots had hit the house.

Police have not commented on this incident so far on Thursday.

Police said they wanted to speak to anyone in the area or who had information.

Large fire sends plumes of black smoke into air above Nuku‘alofa

By
Kaniva Staff
-

Fire and Emergency crews have contained a fire at Tonga’s capital Nuku’alofa.

Reports said the services were responding to the fire at a building at the Church of Tonga’s property at Pīkula.

There were no reports of injuries

One report said the president of the church and staff were at the scene.

Top plumbing apprentice wants to see more women in the industry

By
Kaniva Staff
-

By Libby Kirkby-McLeod of rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

New Zealand’s first woman to win the top prize for an apprentice plumber wants to see more young women encouraged to join the profession.

Maria Contreras Huerta is an apprentice plumber at Morrinsville Plumbing and Gas Services. Photo: RNZ/Libby Kirkby-McLeod

Maria Contreras Huerta is in her last year as an apprentice plumber at Morrinsville Plumbing and Gas Services. Along with being this year’s winner of the 2024 Plumbing Awards overall apprentice prize, she has been nominated for a National Association of Women in Construction excellence award.

There were no other girls in her Wintec training classes and she is the first female apprentice at her company.

In total, women only make up about 5 percent of the plumbing industry.

“Obviously I did know there’s not much females in plumbing, but I honestly didn’t really care about that aspect, I just really wanted to do plumbing,” Contreras Huerta said.

Her workplace had been very supportive, and she was optimistic that the number of women in the trade would grow, especially if the industry could make it more obvious that it welcomed them.

“Even like trade events around schools, instead of just having a guy there, or a boss there, have two different apprentices,” she suggested.

For some young women, it may be intimidating to approach tradesmen, she said. However, she met her boss Dave Strong for the first time at her school’s career day fair.

Strong hired Contreras Huerta as an apprentice and said she had everything he expected of his apprentices – she was proactive, enthusiastic, and had a good attitude.

He has been a plumber for 42 years and often has apprentices. At present his company has five, including Maria.

“It’s the only way the industry will survive is by training new people in. I’m going to retire one day so someone’s got to take my place and you can only do it by training people,” he said.

According to the Plumbers, Gasfitters and Drainlayers Board, the average age of certifying plumbers, gasfitters and drainlayers is 49.

Strong had seen many changes in the industry, and different approaches to attracting people into the workforce, including the establishment of apprentice training organisation MasterLink.

“When they first started 25 years ago you couldn’t get apprentices. You had industry wanting to train, but schools weren’t keen on having kids becoming tradespeople.”

Morrinsville Plumbing and Gas Services managing director Dave Strong.

Morrinsville Plumbing and Gas Services managing director Dave Strong. Photo: RNZ/Libby Kirkby-McLeod

MasterLink is owned by Master Plumbers and specialises in plumbing, gasfitting and drainlaying apprenticeships. It sends local apprentices to Wintec for block course training.

Plumbing teacher Daniel Kotze said people needed to remember that plumbing was a lifeline service.

“I think it’s a necessary job in our community. To be able to have drinking water is very important, and also for personal hygiene, that’s what plumbers and drainlayers bring to the table.”

Wintec plumbing team leader Amy Opperman organises a Wāhine in Trades event each year to highlight women succeeding in the industry.

She believed the industry and the public were open to seeing more women in trades.

“Business owners will actually get in touch with us here and say ‘I’d really like to see if there are any females available to join our team’,” she said.

She had been told many customers liked to deal with women tradespeople.

Contreras Huerta said she had found that too – older women living alone especially appreciated her turning up, she said.

“You are going into someone else’s life pretty much, your home is something very private to you.”

She said training as a plumber had affected many areas of her life.

“Before my apprenticeship I wasn’t that confident, but I’ve built confidence and I’m stronger in myself mentally and physically,” she said.

And she said plumbing was not just about unclogging toilets.

“Everyone thinks it’s about poop and human faeces! There is so much variety, and there’s way wider aspects of it, and you can always specialise in something. You don’t have to go into plumbing, you can specialise in gasfitting, or even drainlaying.”

Tongan community in NZ warned after immigration consultant allegedly charging fake job offers

By
Kalino Latu
-

The Tongan community in Aotearoa is being warned after claims a Tongan licensed immigration consultant was allegedly demanding payments in return for fake job offers. 

Sālote Heletā Lilo says she had been receiving complaints about the scam. Photo/Facebook

It has been alleged that the consultant’s clients were paying for these job-offers to assist their immigration applications. 

A legal expert has previously warned that an employer or a recruiter in New Zealand cannot charge people for job offers.

Experienced Licensed Immigration Advisor Sālote Heletā Lilo made the claim this morning, but provided no further details. She said the man had just left for Australia.

Lilo said she had been receiving complaints about the consultancy in question. She identified the suburb at which the consultancy was based in her Facebook page. Kaniva News has decided not to publish it. We have been unable to contact the accused.  

Lilo called on those who fell victim to the alleged scam to contact her office for assistance.

“I appeal to those who were affected by this scam to contact me as soon as possible so we can contact Immigration New Zealand to assist you and your family”, she said in Tongan.

The revelation came after the Immigration Advisors Authority (IAA) investigated an elaborate passport scheme involving a South Auckland Tongan church promising residency for cash in 2021.

In that scam, over-stayers and those wanting residency were told if they joined the church and paid $500 per person or $800 per family a High Court judge would sign off on their residency.

Reverend Tevita Paipa, who helped collect passports and money from over-stayers, told 1 NEWS he would give an interview about it, but had to pray and fast first.

Fake Job offers

Fake visas and offers to sell jobs in New Zealand are not new.

In February, migrant workers were urged to educate their family and friends overseas if they spotted potential immigration scams.

“An employer or a recruiter can’t charge you for a job”, Senior Investigator Helen Garratt was quoted by the New Zealand Herald as saying.

Garratt said a general rule to follow was that if a job offer in New Zealand sounded too good to be true, it probably is. However, there were specific signs that people could watch out for to protect themselves from falling prey to a scam.

“So beware of offers asking you to pay a large sum of money in return for a visa and a job. Also, paying a sum to have your visa application fast-tracked is another sign the offer could be a scam,” Garratt said.

Last year a Licensed Immigration Advisor was arrested after they become involved in a scam selling false job offers to offshore migrants and fraudulently obtaining work visas through Immigration New Zealand’s Accredited Employer Work Visa category.

The scam required migrants to pay between NZ$20-$40,000 for a job and a visa. Upon arriving in New Zealand, they found the jobs did not exist. They were subsequently housed in overcrowded properties.

The adviser was charged with two counts of providing false and misleading information to Immigration New Zealand, an offence under section 342(1)(b) of the Immigration Act 2009 which carries a maximum penalty of seven years imprisonment and/or a $100,000 fine.

Immigration consultancy law

Under the Immigration Advisers Licensing Act 2007 anyone giving immigration advice must have a licence unless they are exempt. Exempt people include lawyers with a current New Zealand practising certificate and Citizens Advice Bureaux staff among others.

The Authority is independent of Immigration New Zealand and cannot give immigration advice or influence a visa application.

1...177178179...968Page 178 of 968