logo
Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister welcomed to Whakarewarewa

Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister welcomed to Whakarewarewa

NZ Herald17-07-2025
Today marks a milestone in international relations as Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao and Te Arawa welcome the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia to Whakarewarewa, it's the first visit of a high-ranking Malaysian leader to Aotearoa in 20 years. Photo / Aukaha News
Originally published by Māori Television
The Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister is in Aotearoa, strengthening the economic relationship with Aotearoa and Malaysia.
Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, was recently welcomed to Rotorua by Tūhourangi Ngāti Wāhiao and Te Arawa at Te Pākira Marae in Whakarewarewa.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Last-minute change puts oil and gas cleanup decisions in ministers' hands
Last-minute change puts oil and gas cleanup decisions in ministers' hands

1News

time5 days ago

  • 1News

Last-minute change puts oil and gas cleanup decisions in ministers' hands

The government is set to repeal the oil and gas ban this week, after a significant 11th-hour change handing discretionary powers to two ministers. A 25-page amendment was published at 5pm on Monday, leaving opposition MPs less than 23 hours to prepare for the debate. The change largely deals with the rules for decommissioning oil and gas fields, and who is responsible for paying for the cleanup. Taranaki's Tui oil field was abandoned in 2019 after its Malaysian owner Tamarind Taranaki went bust, costing taxpayers a total $293 million to clean up, with work concluding just last month. The government initially set aside up to $343.4m for the project. The Labour government in 2021 introduced a law to prevent the government being lumped with such costs again in future. ADVERTISEMENT Resources Minister Shane Jones has vowed to restart the oil and gas industry. He said the aim of the amendment was to close a loophole in that 2021 law. "It did not seem correct or moral that the Crown should be left with that liability and the people [at fault] - with some very shrewd manoeuverings of script - would escape liability. We have solved that problem," he told the House. The changes replace the process of going through the list of previous permit-holders to figure out who pays for decommissioning, instead putting that decision in the hands of the Resources Minister and the Finance Minister. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including UK set to recognise Palestine, fire closes another Auckland supermarket, and Australia's plan to clamp down on YouTube access. (Source: 1News) The amendment also removes several clauses from a previous amendment the minister made to the bill, which itself amends the Crown Minerals Act. Labour's Energy and Resources spokesperson Megan Woods led the 2021 law change in response to the Tui Oil Field debacle, and told the Parliament the changes showed the government capitulating to the industry's wishes. ADVERTISEMENT "They have bowed to the suggestions of the oil and gas companies and done what they wanted. They have further bowed to the interests of the oil and gas companies in taking eight months to sit with them, find out what they wanted and then bring a bill back to the House. This is not a government that is putting New Zealand first." Labour's Deborah Russell pointed out the Regulatory Impact Statement referred to consultation with affected stakeholders. pointed out the Regulatory Impact Statement referred to consultation with (Source: 1News) "Those consulted preferred ministerial discretion to the current act and approach in the bill. In other words, these shadowy participants in the oil and gas industry - a dying industry - who we don't know who they are, much prefer to be able to lobby a minister." Jones was unapologetic about those he consulted with. "Why would you not engage with the stakeholders, the risk-takers, the providers of what precious little gas we have, ruined by the cancel culture." He was unapologetic about a lack of consultation with others, including iwi. ADVERTISEMENT "So in the future the engagement will happen. This highly technical matter was not the subject of consultation in a detailed way, it was dealt with with a great deal of confidentiality. And in terms of providing a Māori dimension, I interviewed myself." The amendment passed with the coalition parties in support, with the opposition parties opposed. The third reading, which would see the oil and gas ban repealed, is expected on Thursday. A gas company warned investors would be cautious about coming back to New Zealand without broad political consensus - and with the opposition parties currently staunchly opposed that consensus seems vanishingly unlikely. The government also has a $200m fund set aside in this year's Budget to allow the government to co-invest in new gas fields. It last month pulled out of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, an international coalition for phasing out fossil fuels, in a move the local World Wildlife Fund called an "international embarrassment". That was despite the Climate Minister, Simon Watts, previously saying New Zealand would not need to exit the group.

Govt to repeal oil and gas ban
Govt to repeal oil and gas ban

Otago Daily Times

time5 days ago

  • Otago Daily Times

Govt to repeal oil and gas ban

By Russell Palmer of RNZ The government is set to repeal the oil and gas ban this week, after a significant 11th-hour change handing discretionary powers to two ministers. A 25-page amendment was published at 5pm on Monday, leaving opposition MPs less than 23 hours to prepare for the debate. The change largely deals with the rules for decommissioning oil and gas fields, and who is responsible for paying for the clean-up. Taranaki's Tui oil field was abandoned in 2019 after its Malaysian owner Tamarind Taranaki went bust, costing taxpayers a total $293 million to clean up, with work concluding just last month. The government initially set aside up to $343.4m for the project. The Labour government in 2021 introduced a law to prevent the government being lumped with such costs again in future. Resources Minister Shane Jones has vowed to restart the oil and gas industry. He said the aim of the amendment was to close a loophole in that 2021 law. "It did not seem correct or moral that the Crown should be left with that liability and the people [at fault] - with some very shrewd manoeuvrings of script - would escape liability. We have solved that problem," he told the House. The changes replace the process of going through the list of previous permit-holders to figure out who pays for decommissioning, instead putting that decision in the hands of the Resources Minister and the Finance Minister. The amendment also removes several clauses from a previous amendment the minister made to the bill, which itself amends the Crown Minerals Act. Labour's Energy and Resources spokesperson Megan Woods led the 2021 law change in response to the Tui Oil Field debacle, and told the Parliament the changes showed the government capitulating to the industry's wishes. "They have bowed to the suggestions of the oil and gas companies and done what they wanted. They have further bowed to the interests of the oil and gas companies in taking eight months to sit with them, find out what they wanted and then bring a bill back to the House. This is not a government that is putting New Zealand first." Labour's Deborah Russell pointed out the Regulatory Impact Statement referred to consultation with affected stakeholders. "Those consulted preferred ministerial discretion to the current act and approach in the bill. In other words, these shadowy participants in the oil and gas industry - a dying industry - who we don't know who they are, much prefer to be able to lobby a minister." Jones was unapologetic about those he consulted with. "Why would you not engage with the stakeholders, the risk-takers, the providers of what precious little gas we have, ruined by the cancel culture." He was unapologetic about a lack of consultation with others, including iwi. "So in the future the engagement will happen. This highly technical matter was not the subject of consultation in a detailed way, it was dealt with with a great deal of confidentiality. And in terms of providing a Māori dimension, I interviewed myself." The amendment passed with the coalition parties in support, with the opposition parties opposed. The third reading, which would see the oil and gas ban repealed, is expected on Thursday. A gas company warned investors would be cautious about coming back to New Zealand without broad political consensus - and with the opposition parties currently staunchly opposed that consensus seems vanishingly unlikely. The government also has a $200m fund set aside in this year's Budget to allow the government to co-invest in new gas fields. It last month pulled out of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, an international coalition for phasing out fossil fuels, in a move the local World Wildlife Fund called an "international embarrassment". That was despite the Climate Minister, Simon Watts, previously saying New Zealand would not need to exit the group.

Last-minute change puts oil and gas cleanup decisions in ministers' hands
Last-minute change puts oil and gas cleanup decisions in ministers' hands

RNZ News

time5 days ago

  • RNZ News

Last-minute change puts oil and gas cleanup decisions in ministers' hands

Resources Minister Shane Jones has vowed to restart the oil and gas industry. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii The government is set to repeal the oil and gas ban this week, after a significant 11th-hour change handing discretionary powers to two ministers. A 25-page amendment was published at 5pm on Monday, leaving opposition MPs less than 23 hours to prepare for the debate. The change largely deals with the rules for decommissioning oil and gas fields, and who is responsible for paying for the cleanup. Taranaki's Tui oil field was abandoned in 2019 after its Malaysian owner Tamarind Taranaki went bust, costing taxpayers a total $293 million to clean up, with work concluding just last month. The government initially set aside up to $343.4m for the project. The Labour government in 2021 introduced a law to prevent the government being lumped with such costs again in future. Resources Minister Shane Jones has vowed to restart the oil and gas industry . He said the aim of the amendment was to close a loophole in that 2021 law. "It did not seem correct or moral that the Crown should be left with that liability and the people [at fault] - with some very shrewd manoeuverings of script - would escape liability. We have solved that problem," he told the House. Taranaki's Tui oil field was abandoned in 2019 after its Malaysian owner Tamarind Taranaki went bust. Photo: MBIE / Supplied The changes replace the process of going through the list of previous permit-holders to figure out who pays for decommissioning, instead putting that decision in the hands of the Resources Minister and the Finance Minister. The amendment also removes several clauses from a previous amendment the minister made to the bill, which itself amends the Crown Minerals Act. Labour's Energy and Resources spokesperson Megan Woods led the 2021 law change in response to the Tui Oil Field debacle, and told the Parliament the changes showed the government capitulating to the industry's wishes. "They have bowed to the suggestions of the oil and gas companies and done what they wanted. They have further bowed to the interests of the oil and gas companies in taking eight months to sit with them, find out what they wanted and then bring a bill back to the House. This is not a government that is putting New Zealand first." Labour's Deborah Russell pointed out the Regulatory Impact Statement referred to consultation with affected stakeholders. "Those consulted preferred ministerial discretion to the current act and approach in the bill. In other words, these shadowy participants in the oil and gas industry - a dying industry - who we don't know who they are, much prefer to be able to lobby a minister." Labour MP Deborah Russell. Photo: RNZ / REECE BAKER Jones was unapologetic about those he consulted with. "Why would you not engage with the stakeholders, the risk-takers, the providers of what precious little gas we have, ruined by the cancel culture." He was unapologetic about a lack of consultation with others, including iwi. "So in the future the engagement will happen. This highly technical matter was not the subject of consultation in a detailed way, it was dealt with with a great deal of confidentiality. And in terms of providing a Māori dimension, I interviewed myself." The amendment passed with the coalition parties in support, with the opposition parties opposed. The third reading, which would see the oil and gas ban repealed, is expected on Thursday. A gas company warned investors would be cautious about coming back to New Zealand without broad political consensus - and with the opposition parties currently staunchly opposed that consensus seems vanishingly unlikely. The government also has a $200m fund set aside in this year's Budget to allow the government to co-invest in new gas fields. It last month pulled out of the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance , an international coalition for phasing out fossil fuels, in a move the local World Wildlife Fund called an "international embarrassment". That was despite the Climate Minister, Simon Watts, previously saying New Zealand would not need to exit the group. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store