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Nicola Willis says we can't afford to fund critical services on the brink of collapse, but she'll cut our revenue even more to give corporations a tax cut in the name of "growth". Dame Iritana Te Rangi Tāwhiwhirangi has died at 95. She was a founder of the Kōhanga Reo movement, and will be remembered for her role in advancing Māori self-determination and her positive impact on Māori education. Mariameno Kapa-Kingi, MP for Te Tai Tokerau, sits down for a chat with Mihingarangi Forbes, to discuss TPM's proposal for a treaty commissioner and the challenges facing her electorate and their role as hosts of Waitangi Day ================================= Come support the work we're doing by becoming a Patron of #BHN www.patreon.com/BigHairyNews ================================= Merch available at www.BHNShop.nz Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/BigHairyNews Follow us on Twitter. @patbrittenden @Chewie_NZ Follow us on Bluesky Pat @patbrittenden.bsky.social Chewie @chewienz.bsky.social Emily @iamprettyawesome.bsky.social Magenta @xkaosmagex.bsky.social
Meet Mea Motu. Hailing from the humble town of Pukepoto in Te Tai Tokerau, she's Aotearoa's most successful boxer, holding an undefeated 20-0 record. This is her story.
Meet Mea Motu. Hailing from the humble town of Pukepoto in Te Tai Tokerau, she's Aotearoa's most successful boxer, holding an undefeated 20-0 record. This is her story.
Meet Mea Motu. Hailing from the humble town of Pukepoto in Te Tai Tokerau, she's Aotearoa's most successful boxer, holding an undefeated 20-0 record. This is her story.
Meet Mea Motu. Hailing from the humble town of Pukepoto in Te Tai Tokerau, she's Aotearoa's most successful boxer, holding an undefeated 20-0 record. This is her story.
Meet Mea Motu. Hailing from the humble town of Pukepoto in Te Tai Tokerau, she's Aotearoa's most successful boxer, holding an undefeated 20-0 record. This is her story.
Meet Mea Motu. Hailing from the humble town of Pukepoto in Te Tai Tokerau, she's Aotearoa's most successful boxer, holding an undefeated 20-0 record. This is her story.
Meet Mea Motu. Hailing from the humble town of Pukepoto in Te Tai Tokerau, she's Aotearoa's most successful boxer, holding an undefeated 20-0 record. This is her story.
Meet Mea Motu. Hailing from the humble town of Pukepoto in Te Tai Tokerau, she's Aotearoa's most successful boxer, holding an undefeated 20-0 record. This is her story.
Meet Mea Motu. Hailing from the humble town of Pukepoto in Te Tai Tokerau, she's Aotearoa's most successful boxer, holding an undefeated 20-0 record. This is her story.
Meet Mea Motu. Hailing from the humble town of Pukepoto in Te Tai Tokerau, she's Aotearoa's most successful boxer, holding an undefeated 20-0 record. This is her story.
Meet Mea Motu. Hailing from the humble town of Pukepoto in Te Tai Tokerau, she's Aotearoa's most successful boxer, holding an undefeated 20-0 record. This is her story.
Paua are a national treasure, as iconically Aotearoa as pineapple lumps and kiwi. Paua have a long history as a source of meaty protein and decoration. This week's critter is the Manawatawhi paua, Haliotis pirimoana, a newly named species that only lives on Manawatawhi Three Kings Islands in Te Tai Tokerau. Ngati Kuri gave this species its scientific name, which translates as 'the paua that clings to the sea.'
There's harsh criticism of Associate Education Minister David Seymour's push for prosecution of parents of continued truants. Seymour says parents could be fined in the most extreme cases as part of Government requirements for Stepped Attendance Response plans in schools by 2026. He's also insisting term-time teacher-only days need authorisation from the Education Minister. Northland Principal Pat Newman says this is a completely political move. "The cold, hard reality is that it's been tried, it's been on the books, it hasn't worked. That's why it's not used." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Thousands of people in Northland spent the day without power yesterday when a tower north of Auckland toppled. Nearly 100,000 people were cut off, in a grid failure that's being described as the worst since Cyclone Gabrielle. Energy Minister Simeon Brown is heading to Te Tai Tokerau on Friday, he spoke to Corin Dann.
Te Tai Tokerau is waking up after dealing with the worst power cut since Cyclone Gabrielle. Moko Te Pania is the Mayor of the Far North. He spoke to Corin Dann.
While National lost two seats in the special vote count, Te Pāti Māori picked up two - putting them in a record-breaking position of taking six of seven Māori seats. Takutai Tarsh Kemp has taken the Tāmaki Makaurau seat from Peeni Henare, and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi has taken Te Tai Tokerau from Kelvin Davis. The extra two seats have created an overhang of two, bringing the total number of seats in the house to 123. Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer spoke to Corin Dann.
It's almost a clean sweep for Te Pati Maori, snatching another two maori electorate seats from Labour on the special vote count. On election night it was buzzing to secure four of the seven. But now its also taken Tamaki Makaurau by a whisker, just a four vote majority. It also turned Te Tai Tokerau, ousting Labour's Deputy leader Kelvin Davis. Prior to the election he'd said he would resign if he didnt hold his seat. Ko taku manuhiri inaianei ko John Tamihere, Te Pati Maori President speaks to Lisa Owen. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6340407161112
Tonight on The Huddle - Three's Patrick Gower and Auckland Councillor Richard Hills joined in on a discussion about the following issues of the day - and more! The special votes are finally out, and National's two lost seats have all but confirmed they have to form a three-way coalition with ACT and Winston Peters. It's also been a horror day for Labour, after only just clinging onto Mt Albert by 20 votes, and both the Greens and Te Pāti Māori making huge grounds on their special vote speciality. And Labour deputy Kelvin Davis has announced he'll stay on as leader of Labour's Māori caucus, after losing his Te Tai Tokerau seat to Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Northland's general electorates have been swept up in the blue wave engulfing New Zealand. Although, in the Maori electorate, Te Tai Tokerau, Labour's Kelvin Davis holds a slender lead. In a region where there's a huge gap between the haves and have-nots, there's been a major swing away from Labour. Reporter Jimmy Ellingham and producer Matthew Theunissen have the story.
Three weeks ago, a candidates meeting in Kerikeri made headlines after a candidate was shouted down any time she used a Māori word. Another meeting in the same electorate last night couldn't have been more different. It was almost a love-fest at Otiria Marae, as reporter Peter de Graaf discovered.
Bryozoans have been called 'the world's best-kept secret'; that might be why we don't know much about this week's critter. The cyclostome bryozoan Spiritopora perplexa is only found off the coast of Piwhane Spirits Bay in Te Tai Tokerau and is an endangered species.
The head of the Principals Association's backing the Ministry of Education's million dollar campaign that aimed to get kids back to school. Last August, Education Minister Jan Tinetti launched the million-dollar Every School Day Is a Big Day campaign. But documents released under the official information act show it wasn't "expected to have a direct, quantifiable impact on attendance rates in itself.” But Pat Newman says it's not all about statistics. He says instinct and knowledge should be relied upon too. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For thirty years, caulerpa seaweed has been known as the single worst marine weed pest. Northland Regional Council is determined to keep it out of Te Tai Tokerau due to the risks to local environment.
Kūmara packers have had their working hours slashed because this year's crop was ravaged by Cyclone Gabrielle. Pack house bosses say they are doing their best to keep staff on for next year's season. Growers are nearing the end of a dismal harvest in Kaipara - losing about 70 per cent to rot. Sam Olley reports from Te Tai Tokerau.
One of the biggest news stories emerging in Northland over the past week has been a series of extremely divisive talks held opposing co-governance. At one of the meetings in Dargaville, police had to ask people to leave when arguments broke out. And there are more talks to come. Also Sam talks to Kathryn about the sudden liquidation of the company running a big-cat sanctuary and the risk of the animals being put down. And investigations are wrapping up one year on since the Enchanter fishing charter sank off North Cape.
A leading Northland lawyer says she and other collegues have been uneasy about their safety at the Whangārei courthouse for some time. A family lawyer is in hospital with serious injuries after being attacked in a lft at the court. A man has been taken into custody. Catherine Cull KC has practised family and criminal law in Te Tai Tokerau for the past 23 years She says there are security shortcomings at the Whangārei court. She spoke to Māni Dunlop.
News of the sudden liquidation of the Kamo Wildlife Sanctuary - and possible euthanasia of 15 big cats - is causing upset. The park houses lions, tigers and a leopard. Sam Olley reports from Te Tai Tokerau:
The Prime Minister has spent the day with cyclone responders in Te Tai Tokerau telling Northlanders they have not been forgotten. He was confronted with stories of some of our poorest households cut off with limited road access, no power, internet or food amid a cost of living crisis. Sam Olley filed this report from Whangārei.
Assessors are getting through a long list of building checks in Te Tai Tokerau - where red stickers have been issued across all three districts. Sam Olley spoke to some of those cleaning up.
Hundreds of Northlanders are still having to get by without electricity more than week after Cyclone Gabrielle hit. In the Kaipara district alone - there were 300 properties still cut off yesterday- some first lost power nine days ago. Sam Olley reports from Dargaville.
The Government's injecting more than 70-million dollars in a bid to tackle truancy. 82 new attendance officer positions are being created to work with students skipping a lot of school. It's hoped more than three-thousand will show an improvement. Te Tai Tokerau Principals' Association President, Pat Newman told Mike Hosking that it's the right move, but needs to done differently than past attempts. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Waitangi Tribunal has reported back on one of the largest claims ever heard - a document described as groundbreaking, and pivotal for Maori in Te Tai Tokerau. Some of the evidence was presented at hearings more than a decade ago - and the report is more than 18 hundred pages long. It says the Crown repeatedly overstepped its authority to govern, leading to a widespread erosion of rangatiratanga, warfare, extensive landloss and and severe and lasting prejudice. It also states William Hobson's proclamations of sovereignty, and the Constitution Act, were some of the most severe treaty breaches. And there are now major implications for Ngapuhi's ongoing treaty settlement negotiations with the Crown. Samantha Olley reports
National Party leader Chris Luxon has recently come under fire after he blamed school leaders for poor attendance numbers. Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association president Pat Newman is among the many who disagreed with Chris Luxon's comments, as he believed Chris Luxon simplified the issue and came to the wrong conclusion. "It just shows that he has absolutely no understanding whatsoever of the issues around education. And principals, we've worked our guts out over Covid like the rest of the country, we've kept schools going when we had no staff and all the rest. And all he can do is turn around and kick us in the guts." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Black Ferns will play France in the semifinals of the women's Rugby World Cup after a dominant victory over Wales on Saturday night. A big crowd turned out in Whangarei to watch the team's 55-3 win, which included the 19th and 20th World Cup tries of Portia Woodman's career, making her the record holder in World Cup rugby. Turning her attention to France, Woodman said the team is in better shape than when they lost twice to France at the end of last year. Rugby commentator and author Scotty Stevenson was in Te Tai Tokerau to watch the game on Saturday. He spoke to Corin Dann.
It's crunchtime for the Black Ferns this weekend when they face Wales in the Women's Rugby World Cup quarter final in Whangārei. They've had a big boost with co-captain Kennedy Simon named to play after months recovering from a leg injury. She'll have her work cut out boosting the pack, with the team admitting they were outmuscled in some parts of their pool match against Wales, and need to do better. Sam Olley filed this report from Te Tai Tokerau.
At least one part of the country is making progress when it comes to our school attendance crisis. Principals across the Northland region say the "let's get to school - tai tokerau" campaign is working and classrooms are filling back up. Pat Newman is the president of Te Tai Tokerau principals association, which is behind the campaign. He notes that the it's still early days, but there's been positive reports of student attendance going up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Te Tai Tokerau schools have joined forces to launch a campaign to get more Tamariki back into the classroom. The Principal of Kamo Primary School, Sally Wilson talks to Jesse about the challenges of getting pupils back to school.
Te Tai Tokerau children finishing primary school have the worst tooth decay in the country. But the Far North mayor says the new compulsory fluoridation order is mystifying him, and happening too fast, and he still doesn't know how his council's going to pay for it. Sam Olley was at the district council's hui today.
People wanting to stand for local government have just a few hours left to put their hat in the ring. Nominations close at midday but some seats still have no candidates. As Sam Olley reports, Te Tai Tokerau is one region facing that problem.
Police in the Far North say it's likely a man mauled in Panguru was not attacked by his own dogs. Neville Thomson was found dead at his property on Thursday. Twenty five dogs have been rounded up as police investigate the death. Thomson's family say their dad was taken advantage of by an old friend who was staying with him at the time. Aanei te kai ripoata a Sam Olley no Te Tai Tokerau.
An extraordinary man who was a hero to many - that's just one of the ways Ricky Houghton is being described as many mourn his death. He was the chief executive of He Korowai Trust based in Kaitaia and spent decades lifting people out of poverty, homelessness, addiction and imprisonment. He died on Monday surrounded by whānau, at the age of 62, after battling illness. Sam Olley reports.
A Wellington woman is vowing to fight after her husband's body was forcibly taken from their home by his whānau, to be buried at his Northland marae. Tommy Murray, who was 54, had a heart problem and died suddenly last week. His wife, Sara Murray, opened the doors of their Naenae home so whānau could join her and her teenage daughters to grieve with his body. Her spokesperson told RNZ's Maori news Director Mani Dunlop that things turned ugly on Sunday night when the Northland whānau lifted Tommy Murray's lidless coffin and took him from the house - twice almost dropping him out. Former MP Shane Jones, from Te Tai Tokerau, spoke to Susie Ferguson about Māori tikanga.
Contractors are clearing debris from roads in the upper North Island that have been walloped by storms today. Some parts of Te Tai Tokerau and Tāmaki Makaurau had between 20 and 40mm of rain in an hour this morning. MetService says there's more messy weather on the way. Sam Olley reports.
With ANZAC day coming up historians and archivists are looking at new ways of telling NZ's war stories that people might not be aware of. A new podcast episode of Aotearoa Unearthed is launching on Monday, and its about a a secret war waged in Te Tai Tokerau. Wallace is joined by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga Podcast Editor Rosemary Baird and Northland staff member Bill Edwards to discuss the secret war!
In one of New Zealand's most vaccine-hesitant regions, the vast majority of tamariki Māori haven't had a Covid-19 jab. The Northland DHB is spending five-million dollars on campaigns against Covid misinformation - but says these have had 'minimal effect' so far. And few schools have allowed vaccinators onsite. Sam Olley reports from Te Tai Tokerau.
Search teams are desperately looking for the last person still missing after a fishing charter sank near Cape Reinga. The vessel - 'Enchanter' - ran into trouble in wild weather which hammered the top of the motu last night. It's believed a wave hit the 15m vessel, breaking the bridge of the boat. A massive search effort has been taking place since early this morning - while five survivors have been found, four bodies have also been recovered. Aanei te kai ripoata a Nita Blake-Persen no Te Tai Tokerau.
The drive to school, or lunch when the kids get there. Filling the car or feeding the whānau. Bills or ballooning debt. Families across Aotearoa are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living rises - and they're being made to make the tough calls over the basics. Our reporter Nita Blake-Persen filed this report from Te Tai Tokerau.
A luxury retreat owned by a Russian oligarch is causing unease in an isolated coastal community in Te Tai Tokerau. In peak season, the Helena Bay Lodge charges $7,000 a night per room. The buildings, worth tens of millions of dollars, are owned by Russian billionaire Alexander Abramov who is believed to have taken his superyacht from Europe to the Maldives when war broke out. Peter Batt lives in one of the closest properties to the Northland lodge, and spoke to RNZ reporter Sam Olley.
Te Tai Tokerau tourism and hospitality businesses are reporting a quieter Auckland Anniversary weekend than most. Two suspected Omicron cases in the region, connected to the Soundsplash music festival, have sparked some nervousness for locals and visitors alike. Sam Olley reports.