Page 29 - Dom Thomas News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

Royal Commission into Abuse in Care blows $56m budget Katie Scotcher © RNZ / Patrice Allen The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care has been told to rein in its skyrocketing spending and now has to work with Treasury to get back on track. Documents released to RNZ show operational spending has increased by more than 80 percent in this financial year. It has asked for three emergency funding top-ups because it had blown the $56 million budget - meant to last another two years. But Internal Affairs Minister Jan Tinetti, the minister responsible for the inquiry, said ...

National Party wants 'wraparound services' for people in emergency housing © RNZ / Dom Thomas National wants better support for those in emergency housing who are being put up in motels. Living conditions in the motels have been described as dangerous and frightening and there are warnings about the potential for abuse and sexual violence. It was under the previous National government that motels were first drafted into use as emergency housing. National Party leader Judith Collins told Morning Report restrictions placed on landlords were reducing the supply of rentals available and requir...

Student worried about losing time due to New Zealand residence visa processing delays Liu Chen © RNZ / John Gerritsen A migrant says he feels trapped because he cannot study, work or volunteer due to continued delays in residence visa processing by Immigration New Zealand. The young man was accepted to the University of Auckland School of Medicine before finishing high school but has to wait for his family's residence visa to come through. He said the immigration department needed to realise the delays were disrupting people's lives and thereby needed to make changes. Auckla...

PM Jacinda Ardern welcomes start of trans-Tasman bubble © RNZ / Dom Thomas The opening of the trans-Tasman bubble marks a significant step in reconnecting with the world, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says. She says ministers will announce in coming weeks further reallocations of managed isolation and quarantine (MIQ) spaces freed up as a result of the bubble. A quarantine-free travel bubble has begun operating today. Speaking after the weekly Cabinet meeting this afternoon, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said she would be attending a trans-Tasman bubble celebration at 5pm at Wellington air...

Covid-19 committee carry-on catches Labour lacking Jane Patterson © RNZ / Dom Thomas Speaker Trevor Mallard was so unimpressed with the health committee he called it out in Parliament Some of Labour's backbenchers did little to cover themselves with glory this week with their behaviour - a red flag for the still fresh majority government. So egregious was yesterday's health committee hearing, the MPs earned a reprimand from the Speaker for not following "the spirit" of Parliament's rules. The conduct of the Labour members, actively trying to derail questions about the latest...