Auckland Airport was flooded this morning and flights were cancelled amid heavy rain in New Zealand. Footage shows knee-deep dirty floodwater sloshing around the check-in desks and abandoned luggage trollies at the departure terminal of the normally-busy airport on Friday 27th January. There were a number of flights delayed and diverted on Friday afternoon and … Read more
CNN — New Zealand welcomed a new prime minister on Wednesday, six days after Jacinda Ardern’s shock resignation ahead of an upcoming election. Chris Hipkins, 44, was sworn in on Wednesday at an inauguration ceremony in the capital Wellington. Hipkins was first elected to Parliament in 2008 and spearheaded the country’s Covid-19 policies in 2020. … Read more
They wrote: “For your friendship, leadership and support over the years, not least at the time of my grandmother’s death. Sending you, Clarke and Neve our best wishes. W&C.” Clarke Gayford is Ms Ardern’s fiancé and Neve is their four-year-old daughter. Mr Hipkins will have less than nine months before contesting a tough general election, … Read more
“The undertow is at a point that’s completely calm. It looks so benign.” Gladding said the new signs were not effective enough and that locals’ patrol of the area would continue until new signs were put in place. ‘Should we have done more? Put signs up last week? Should we have waited for the council … Read more
New Zealand’s 2018 census, taken six months after Labour came to power, showed that at 64.5 per cent, home ownership rates were at their lowest level since 1951. In the five years she was in office Ardern was unable to reverse that slide. Jacinda Ardern was unable to improve New Zealand’s housing crisis.Credit:Getty This year … Read more
Incoming New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said on Saturday Finance Minister Grant Robertson is expected to continue in the role. “Grant Robertson has indicated he’s happy to continue in that role. I absolutely intend to follow through with that,” Hipkins told a news conference after being announced as the sole candidate to replace … Read more
“I think we’re an incredibly strong team,” Hipkins told a news conference after the party announced him as the sole candidate. “We’ve gone through this process with unity and we’ll continue to do that. I’m feeling really fortunate to be working with such an amazing group of people who have a real commitment to the … Read more
The ruling Labour Party’s next leader is Covid-19 response minister Chris Hipkins New Zealand’s ruling Labour Party on Saturday nominated Chris Hipkins to be the next prime minister. The former head of the Pacific nation’s Covid-19 response is expected to take over once PM Jacinda Ardern’s resignation takes effect next month. Hipkins, 44, currently heads the … Read more
Tax on landlords As demand outstripped supply, this only increased prices further, with tax regulations adding to the froth. “The tax system is oriented in a way that encourages investment in property effectively as a form of savings,” says Michael Gordon, acting chief economist at Westpac Institutional Bank. “So we’ve tended to have house prices … Read more
Germany’s Süddeutsche Zeitung described Ms Ardern as “an exceptional leader with a special gift for building bridges” but pointed out that she was leaving office at a time when her popularity had begun to wane. “Her tenure has been exhausting… but her exhaustion may just have something to do with the fact that New Zealand’s … Read more