Wednesday, April 8, 2026
Newsletter
Support Kaniva
Home Blog Page 196

Election 2023: Immigration in spotlight as similar policies announced

By
Kaniva Staff
- 
By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

National, ACT and Labour have all launched immigration policies targeting migrant parents and grandparents, with Labour also promising amnesty for overstayers who have been in the country for 10 years or more.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins speaking at the party’s immigration announcement on 23 September, 2023. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter

The Labour Party promised a 10-year multiple-entry Super Visa that allows relatives to make successive visits of between 6 months and 5 years.

Those on the visa would need a written guarantee of financial support from their children or grandchildren, who must be a New Zealand citizen.

They would also need health insurance for the entirety of their stay and meet good character requirements, said the party.

Labour said the Super Visa would not count towards any pathway to residency.

Meanwhile ACT’s new visa, called the Unite Visa, would enable relatives to visit family in New Zealand for up to five years at a time, with a renewal requirement each year.

Parents and grandparents on the Unite Visa would also have to pay an annual $3500 fee to cover potential health costs.

“There’s no question that the fee is significant and there are some people who will be deterred from coming by the fee, on the other hand I don’t think the taxpayer should have to pay,” said ACT leader David Seymour.

National leader Christopher Luxon with a family from Sri Lanka while out and about in Taupō on 23 September, 2023.

National leader Christopher Luxon with a family from Sri Lanka while out and about in Taupō on 23 September, 2023. Photo: Twitter / Christopher Luxon

The National Party announced their immigration policy earlier today which would allow relatives to visit family members in New Zealand for five years, with the possibility of renewal for another five years.

National said those on the new Parent Visa Boost would need to be sponsored by their children or grandchildren, would not be eligible for NZ Super or other entitlements and would have to have health insurance.

At the moment, a general visitor visa allows a stay of up to 12 months, but it did not allow flexibility to leave the country and come back.

If someone makes multiple journeys, parents and grandparents can only visit for up to six months at a time, with a maximum total stay of 18 months in three years.

A residency visa is also available, but migrants must meet income eligibility thresholds.

When asked about the similarities between Labour, National and ACT’s policy, Chris Hipkins said:

“Well the details were in the New Zealand Herald this morning so I suspect they would have got a bit of a clue to what we were announcing.”

Labour also announced amnesty for overstayers

Labour's immigration spokesperson Andrew Little speaking about the party's new visa for parents and its one-off regularisation programme to overstayers.

Andrew Little at the announcement. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter

The Labour Party also announced a one-off regularisation programme for overstayers who have been in New Zealand for 10 years or more.

It said this was to honour the historic Dawn Raids apology to Pacific people by backing it up with action.

However, the programme would not be limited to any particular group, meaning people from all migrant communities will be able to apply to regularise their visa status.

“These people are part of New Zealand. In some cases they have been here for decades. They have family here, jobs and church,” said Labour’s immigration spokesperson Andrew Little.

“It’s only fair that children born in this country aren’t held back from making the most of their own lives, because of their parents’ irregular visa status. That is why regularisation will not be limited to any particular group, meaning people from all migrant communities will be able to apply.

“About 14,000 to 20,000 people could be eligible for regularisation, including every survivor of the Dawn Raids era who has never left the country. It means they will have rights at work and access to more government services like higher education,” Little said.

Speaking at the announcement in Auckland, Hipkins said the overstayer regularisation programme was “the right thing to do” to huge applause and some tears in the crowd.

He said the party would deliver the policy within the first 100 days in office, but he admitted he did not actually know how many migrant overstayers there were.

“To be clear these are estimates, it’s not an exact science because obviously the fact that they’re not regular means that we don’t have good information on them.

“It’s our estimate on how many people might be eligible and taken up.”

But Green Party immigration spokesperson Ricardo Menéndez March said he was disappointed with the requirement for people to be in Aotearoa for 10 years to be eligible for the amnesty.

“It calls into question the claim it will benefit 20,000 people. The reality is that it will leave many overstayers who still have roots here exposed to exploitative conditions,” he said.

“The Greens will ensure that an amnesty for overstayers provides accessible residency pathways to everyone, not just those who’ve been here more than 10 years.”

Labour promises 6000 more state houses if re-elected

By
Kaniva Staff
-
Part of the Labour leadership team out on the campaign trail for this year’s election. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter
By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Labour says it will build 6000 additional public and transitional houses on top of its existing commitments, if re-elected.

It would take the total built since Labour came into office to 27,000 houses by 2027.

Housing spokesperson Megan Woods said it would be a significant step to eliminate the public housing waitlist.

According to Woods, National had not committed to further public housing beyond 2025 – meaning it would have to spend more than it had currently budgeted if it wanted to match the policy.

“Labour is the only major party with a deliverable plan that will help ensure every New Zealander has access to a warm, dry and affordable home,” she said.

“In just six years we’ve delivered over 13,000 public homes, the most of any government since the 1950s. We’ve also added over 4,000 transitional homes. We are on track to deliver 21,000 public and transitional homes by 2025 and there is more to come. If re-elected, we’ll deliver another 6000 public homes by 2027.

“Labour wants to eliminate the public housing wait list. Delivering over 27,000 new public and transitional homes by 2027 is a significant step forward to achieving exactly that.

“Our government [proud to have] delivered one in six public homes within New Zealand’s entire public housing stock – and we’ll keep going, building significantly more supply into our housing market.

“This is a stark contrast to National, which left government with 1500 fewer public homes than it started with, sucked out hundreds of millions in dividends and has reluctantly said it would complete the number of homes we’ve already funded. If National built public homes at the rate we are, there would practically be no public housing waiting list.

“National want to turn off the public housing tap yet again, with no further commitment for public housing beyond 2025. It’s yet another example of how National cuts investment in public assets like housing, hospitals and schools.

“We will keep investing in this critical safety net, so more New Zealanders who need these warm, dry homes can get them.

“We will also expand the commitment we have already made for 15 percent of newly built public homes to be accessible with universal design, to 25 percent of all new public homes,” Woods said.

National criticises Kāinga Ora ‘failed model’

National Party housing spokesperson Chris Bishop said what was needed was a review of Kāinga Ora’s approach, and National was committed to starting one within its first 100 days if elected.

He said the party would also make Kāinga Ora’s funding contestable.

“We’re committing to what the government announced in 2023, which is the current housing spending track … we’re not committing to the spending track that the Labour Party announced today,” he said.

“So 6000 state houses at $6b, that is a million dollars per state house at a time when the government books are deep in the red,” Bishop said.

“It’s a failed model because all they do in housing is just shovel money into Kāinga Ora which their own officials say is essentially a financial basket case. The leaked documents around a year or so ago indicate that Kāinga Ora will be riddled with debt as late as 2050, it can’t pay its way, they’ve hired 1700 more staff in the last five years alone, spent $24m on back-office renovations.

“Things are so bad at Kāinga Ora they’ve got three Bloomberg terminals even though they don’t need them. What is required there is an independent review and scrutiny of what is a failing organisation.”

“We do want to see more social housing in New Zealand that’s an important part of addressing New Zealand’s housing crisis … but our view is they could be much more efficient and nimble at actually building state and social houses.”

Part of the changes would including making funding contestable, he said.

“We are going to make the capital that the Crown spends on social housing contestable between Kāinga Ora and the community housing sector … we’re also going to make the operational funding which allows the community housing sector to go to financial institutions and borrow, we’re going to make that contestable as well.”

He promised National would continue increasing social housing stock beyond 2025, but the exact mix of funding was up for debate.

Green Party calls for more action

The Green Party said Labour’s public housing plan was a welcome step forward but called it unambitious.

Co-leader Marama Davidson said her party would build 35,000 public houses over the next five years.

“The time is now to scale up building new homes – not let it plateau at a level that falls short of the current build programme. If people want a government that will build thousands more affordable houses in the places people want to live, then only the Green Party will deliver it,” she said in a statement.

Davidson said Labour’s plan would slow the pace of house building instead of continuing to scale up.

“There are currently 4,500 public and transitional homes under construction. The Green Party has a plan to scale this up to 8000 per year by the end of 2026. Under Labour’s plan, the current programme will be tapering off instead of increasing.

“Aotearoa needs a government that will build thousands of high-quality homes where people can live, rest and thrive.”

Bishop said the Greens policy was “in la la land”.

“It is not possible to build 35,000 new public homes in the next five years, the Green Party plan is a fantasy. It’s also a fantasy because the single biggest thing that would contribute to homelessness in New Zealand is part of their plan – which is rent controls.”

Police end crime scene investigations over Ōtara and Māngere shootings

By
Kaniva Staff
- 
By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

The police have completed scene examinations at two homes in South Auckland that were shot at last week.

Shots were fired at the properties in Ōtara and Māngere on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning, but no-one was injured.

The police were yet to establish whether the two incidents were linked.

Alf Filipaina is being recognised for his services to the New Zealand Police and the community.

Auckland City councillor Alf Filipaina. Photo: Auckland Council

Manukau ward councillor Alf Filipaina said the feedback from community leaders was that they did not believe gang tensions would escalate to the point they did about a year ago.

“Within Ōtara, for example, they don’t feel as if the tensions are rising there. For them, it [is just] an outbreak of incidents.”

Filipaina wants to see more police officers on the ground, and more youth workers with local knowledge.

Immigration laws need stability, says adviser group

By
Kaniva Staff
- 
By Rayssa Almeida of RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

Immigration laws in New Zealand are loose and need to be more consistent, says an immigration adviser association.

National, ACT and Labour all launched immigration policies targeting migrant parents and grandparents yesterday, with Labour also promising amnesty for overstayers who have been in the country for 10 years or more.

The New Zealand Association for Migration and Investment (NZAMI) Chair Arunima Dhingra argued that frequent changes to immigration policies were undermining their objectives.

“What we as a country need is stability. Our policies have chopped and changed so many times over the years that it has almost become a mishmash of so many policies.”

She said without consistency, new immigration laws would not be fit for purpose.

“There’s a lot of things that we hear close to [the] elections and there’s a lot of promises. But what’s going to stick? What’s going to come out? What’s going to be implemented?

“Or is it going to turn out to be another Accredited Employer Work visa scheme where the implementation didn’t deliver the objective. Time will tell.”

All the parties announced immigration policies targeting migrant parents and grandparents, with National allowing relatives to visit family members in New Zealand for five years, with the possibility of renewal for another five years.

Dhingra said NZAMI had been advocating for the changes for a while.

“That’s been something that’s been in the making for many years, but it’s only just coming out now, just a few weeks from the election.

“It’s taken multiple governments a long time to come to that long term visa. It’s here now, so whoever comes to power, we know that there will be a visitor visa for parents who have been waiting for a long time.”

She said changes to Parent Visa legislation were long overdue.

“We are quite late on a lot of policies, and I have no qualms about saying that we have been telling the government officials for a long time that New Zealand does need to allow parents to have a smoother transition when they want to come here.”

High volumes of policy changes were weakening the credibility of New Zealand policies, Dhingra said.

“It does have a huge detriment on the New Zealand brand to the rest of the world, who want to believe in the credibility of our policies.

“You don’t want too many changes, you want that ‘business as usual’ state for New Zealand.

Dhingra said immigration laws shouldn’t be used as political footballs.

“I say these campaigns and announcements are on steroids, because we are two and a half weeks away from the elections, and the campaigns are obviously full formed.

“What we’re finding is that a lot of these policies have been brewing in the background for a while. The big question is [if] a lot of these [policies] have been escalated because of the election or not.”

Labour leader Chris Hipkins speaking at the party's immigration announcement on 23 September, 2023.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins speaking at the party’s immigration announcement yesterday. Photo: RNZ / Giles Dexter

‘Wrong message’ – Amnesty Visa Policy

If re-elected, the Labour Party promised amnesty for overstayers who have been in the country for 10 years or more.

Up to 20,000 people could be eligible for regularisation.

Dhingra said giving overstayers amnesty could send the wrong message for those planning to come to New Zealand.

“We don’t want to be looked at as a country where [if] you’ve become unlawful, you can stay here for 10 years, find your way through the system, and have a residency pathway because you’ve got this amnesty.

“But at the same time, we do want to be seen as a humanitarian fair country. Those people that really can’t get out of that system and it’s no fault of theirs. [People who] have tried everything or the issue it’s generations down the line, you do want to give them a second chance.”

Dhingra said the details and requirements of the amnesty policy should be specific.

“Who will qualify, what are the requirements, what’s the threshold, what have you done all of these years to rectify your status?

“Those things will then tell how good or bad these policies are.”

Dhingra said the government should not drop the threshold of those eligible for amnesty.

“If you drop the bar really low with that amnesty, it does send out the wrong message.

“We want people to do the right thing, work towards rectifying their status, work towards getting residency.”

The first fights from across the Tasman landed in New Zealand after the border reopened on 13 April 2022.

File photo. Photo: RNZ / Marika Khabazi

‘Window dressing for votes’ – Migrant Workers Association

The Migrant Workers Association President Anu Kaloti said the amnesty overlooked thousands of people let down by overly restrictive immigration policies.

“All of the people who are here without visas currently, they arrived in New Zealand on valid visas going back five years, 10 years.

“At that time, we had too many colleges and shop fronts for bringing people in, and those colleges got closed down and ended the process. The students ended up with nothing.”

She said Labour’s promise was a window dressing for votes.

“There will be very little uptake and benefit if they are going to limit it to people who’ve been here 10 years or more.

“There are people who’ve been here less time than that and those people also have children born here so that this will again leave a lot of people in need behind.”

Labour pledged that the amnesty policy would make good on the Dawn Raids apology, but Kaloti said the party had nearly two years since apologising for the Dawn Raids to do the right thing.

She said National and Act’s immigration policies were treating people without visas as illegal immigrants who arrived the country by boat.

Tongan men convicted for illegal taking of around 10,000 cockles, two cars seized from Auckland beach

By
Kaniva Staff
-

This Content Is Only For Subscribers

Please subscribe to unlock this content. Enter your email to get access.
Your email address is 100% safe from spam!

Former Wallaby Adam Coleman named in Tonga’s match-day 23 against Scotland

By
Kaniva Staff
- 
By Iliesa Tora of  rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Former Wallaby Adam Coleman will debut off the bench for the ‘Ikale Tahi when they battle Scotland in Nice on Monday morning (New Zealand time).

Coleman became eligible for Tonga with World Rugby approving its eligibility rule allowing players to play for their home nations after three years of stand-down from their last international game with their adopted home teams.

Coleman and fly-half Patrick Pellegrini are the only changes to the bench as head coach Toutai Kefu has gone with retaining the team that was thrashed by Ireland in Nantes last weekend.

“They are our best players and I think after last week’s performance, it probably wasn’t our best version of us. They deserved another chance,” he told the media in Nice on Friday evening.

“The only difference is Adam Coleman comes onto the bench and he might be able to give us a bit of an impact off the bench.

“Depending on how it goes he will be pushing for a starting place in the next couple of weeks. It’s been a while since he played and he’s still getting over a calf injury.

“That’s what he’s had for the last month. Before that it was a shoulder and an Achilles at the same time. He’s been through the wars a bit so we are just taking it daily with him.”

Kefu said they must win against Scotland to have any hopes of getting a quarterfinal spot, a tough ask for the side, following their big loss to the Irish last weekend.

“It is. We are desperate to win. Last week wasn’t us so we want to fix that.”

He said they had focused on Ireland last week and worked on improving areas they identified as weak links from last week.

“The dream is to win three games in a row. That would be a dream. We can’t look too far ahead of ourselves. We are fully focused on performance. Our preparation has been okay this week,” he said.

“The boys are probably a little bit hungover from last week’s performance. They were devastated. We didn’t fire any shots at all. To Ireland’s credit, they kept us under sustained pressure.

“We definitely want to put the best version of ourselves this week.”

Tonga last played Scotland in 2021 and suffered a 60-14 defeat at Murrayfield.

Kefu said this was a totally different team with a lot of experience.

“I wasn’t on that tour, I think that was the Covid tour. This is a totally different squad. I think there’s only one of two players left over from that squad,” he said.

“They did beat us quite convincingly so I’d like to think we will be a lot more competitive, a lot more organised.

“Last week was a massive disappointment. We will put our best foot forward this weekend and show what we’ve been building over the past couple of months.”

Prop Ben Tameifuna will lead the team again.

He said they have prepared to give it their all against Scotland.

“We looked at the whole footage. We put ourselves in tough positions but we got the tools and we fixed that straight away in our first team training back.

“We are still looking to take it week by week and it starts this weekend with Scotland.”

On what he thinks of Scotland: “I played with [fly-half] Finn Russell at Racing. I know his tricks and his little inside balls and dummies and stuff. It will be good to see Finn again on the field. We’re excited and looking forward to this weekend. We’ve just been focusing on ourselves and putting our best foot forward after last week.”

Augustine Pulu, one of the former All Blacks in the side, said they know the importance of winning against Scotland.

“It’s knock-out footie this week. We understand what’s in front of us and put our best foot forward this week,” he said.

“We understand they are quality players but we can only focus on ourselves. Last week we didn’t fire our shots so this week we are going to redeem ourselves by going out there and doing our best.”

Tonga’s match-day 23 against Scotland:

1 Siegfried Fisi’ihoi, 2. 2 Paula Ngauamo, 3. Ben Tameifuna (c), 4 Halaleva Fifita, 5 Sam Lousi, 6 Tanginoa Halaifonua, 7 Sione Talitui, 8 Vaea Fifita, 9 Augustine Pulu, 10 William Havili, 11 Afusipa Taumoepeau, 12 Pita Ahki,13 Malakai Fekitoa, 14 Solomone Kata, 15 Salesi Piutau; Replacements: 16 Sam Moli, 17 Tau Koloamatangi, 18 Sosefo Apikotoa, 19 Adam Coleman, 20 Semisi Paea, 21 Sione Vailanu, 22 Sonatane Takulua, 23 Patrick Pellegrini

Father and sons convicted in machete attack case; judge cites police failure to lay ‘attempted murder’ charges

By
Kaniva Staff
-

A father and his two sons were convicted of common assault after a 24-year-old man was assaulted and struck with a machete.

The father was also found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm while his sons were acquitted of that same charge.

And in handing down his decision, Justice Cooper made searing comment about the situation.

“Firstly, from the foregoing it will be entirely obvious to anyone that all defendants should have been charged with attempted murder”, Mr Cooper said.

“No explanation has been offered as to why this was not so.

“Secondly, the medical evidence plainly needed expanding upon, rather than simply a one-page note and a photo. Ultimately it did not stop and clear finding by the Court, but it was crying out for expert evidence as to how this was caused, from what height and angle; when spelt out may have concentrated the defendant’s minds on arraignment.

Both these points should have been picked up in any proper case review”.

Kali Malupo, 57, was  guilty of count of grievous bodily harm after he struck Filihia Lī on his head using a machete at Tonga’s Manuka village.

His two sons, Sione and Siaosi Malupō were convicted of common assault for punching Lī.

The court was told the incident occurred outside Lii’s father’s house on October 31, 2022, in Manuka.

Li was drunk before he had a confrontation with  Kali.

At one stage Li was standing in the road while Kali was in his vehicle.

Kali had moved his vehicle towards Li before Li had punched and smashed a front head light.

Kali then produced a machete and struck  Li with it causing the injury. Li was unarmed and there was no suggestion he ever had a weapon or any person thought he may have had one.

At another stage, according to court document,  Kali approached  Li before he ordered Sione and Siaosi  to step aside so he could strike him.

As they stepped aside they also shouted words of encouragement to their father to attack Li.

 “Beat him until he shits himself’.  

Li was injured by the third strike of the machete despite his father tackling Kali. Sione and Siaosi then continued to punch Li, as he kept retreating all the way back to his fale even as he was trying to get in the door to be cared for.

“I am also quite sure they continued to attack Filihai Li after he was grievously injured. This is strong evidence of their state of mind from the start; that they were determined upon violently dealing with Filihai Li for violence’s sake and did so”, Mr Cooper said.

The defence argued that Siaosi was not at the scene at this time and arrived only as Li was being led into his father’s fale to be cared for.

It said Siaosi never had any physical interaction with Li nor threatened him.

Upper Hutt homicide: Woman arrested, charged with murder

By
Kaniva Staff
- 
By RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission

A woman has been arrested and charged with murder after a man’s death in Upper Hutt on Friday.

Armed police at the scene of a reported Homicide in Akatarawa Road in Upper Hutt. Photo: RNZ / Bill Hickman

A homicide investigation was launched after a person died of their injuries when they were found on Akatarawa Road on Friday afternoon.

The 39-year-old woman who was arrested is due to appear in Hutt Valley District Court on Saturday.

Police said nobody else was being sought in relation to the incident.

Heavy rain watches in place for North Island as front moves from South Island

By
Kaniva Staff
- 
By rnz.co.nz and is republished with permission

Heavy rain warnings are in place for parts of the North Island as an active front moves up north after battering the South Island earlier this week.

Surface flooding in Gore following heavy rain that is moving up the country. Photo: RNZ / Tess Brunton

The school holidays have started and with travel picking up, motorists are being warned to be wary of the road conditions.

MetService said the front which hammered the South Island this week was slowly moving onto the North Island and would continue moving slowly eastwards across the island during the weekend.

Heavy rain warnings are in place for Bay of Plenty east of Opotiki and Waitomo and the Central North Island High Country south and west of Lake Taupō until Sunday.

A heavy rain watch is in place until Sunday for Northland, Waitomo, Taumarunui, Taihape, Whanganui, and Taupo west and south of the Lake, and Taranaki.

MetService meteorologist Alec Holden said heavy rain was lashing Nelson and Marlborough on Saturday morning, but that would ease by the afternoon.

“By this evening, it should be lined up stretching from the top of Northland down through inland Taranaki and then into the lower North Island.”

Authorities in Southland remained on watch overnight as the Mataura River peaked at various points after a 24-hour deluge, which began on Thursday and led to states of emergency in Southland and Queenstown.

However, Emergency Management Southland (EMS) said those peaks were expected to be lower than the 2020 floods and staying within the capacity of the river system.

EMS Group Controller Simon Mapp said some people were evacuated as rivers overflowed onto their land.

But he said the worst was over and MetService’s forecast showed the weather in the region would improve on Saturday.

Mapp urged people not to enter or drive through flood waters, which might be contaminated.

Gore District Council stood down its emergency response on Friday night, but Southland’s state of emergency remains in place.

A Civil Defence Southland spokesperson said a number of streets and roads around the Gore District remain affected by flooding, but State Highway 1 between Gore and Mataura reopened on Saturday morning.

The Queenstown Lakes District Council said its next steps in the flood clean-up included clearing debris on Brecon Street, where about 70 people were still out of their homes.

Thick snow has settled on farms in Central Otago after Friday’s heavy snowfall.

But in Alexandra, the annual Blossom Festival parade and market was set to go ahead.

Community emergency hubs at Gore and Mataura have been closed.

As for Sunday, MetService said rain was again expected for most of the North Island, while scattered showers were expected in the north and east of the South Island.

Tongatapu man acquitted after girl left blind in one eye after a stone was thrown at her

By
Kaniva Staff
-

This Content Is Only For Subscribers

Please subscribe to unlock this content. Enter your email to get access.
Your email address is 100% safe from spam!
1...195196197...950Page 196 of 950
© Copyright 2026 Kaniva Tonga News & Entertainment