Edward Gay

Man faked payments for sex - rape charges dropped He offered thousands for sex, showing false proof of payment and a fake STI result. The rape charges were dropped – and advocates say NZ law is failing sex workers.

He offered thousands for sex, showing proof of payment and even a clean STI test. But it was all fake. Rape charges he faced have been dropped - and advocates say New Zealand’s law is failing sex workers. www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3608...

Fury as efforts to extradite foreign officials accused of sexual assault fail Police said they had ‘no doubt’ assaults occurred, but the alleged offenders will not face justice.

No extradition of Vietnamese officials accused of sexual assault

1983, 11 months, three weeks and six days

Suffering…

Please stop posting photos of Annie on a bed… my dog will use this as leverage against me, arguing her three seater in-door sofa, Persian rug and her dog bed is not good enough!

Timoti Te Moke: 'I should have been a doctor 30 years ago' | E-Tangata “I've become a doctor in my 50s, which is all well and good, but I should have been a doctor 30 years ago. And the only reason I wasn't was because of all these barriers that have been put in front of...

“I’ve become a doctor in my 50s, which is all well and good, but I should have been a doctor 30 years ago. And the only reason I wasn’t was because of all these barriers that have been put in front of me. “ — Dr Timoti Te Moke.

Ping @fiona-webster22.bsky.social @mariopro.bsky.social

Sex worker: Police handling of press secretary case does not make sense A sex worker at the centre of the Michael Forbes case says new documents show police handling of it was ‘concerning and unacceptable’.

Zara responds to the police documents release over the Forbes case.

Baby’s first home: A cold, dirty garage with windows that don’t open More than 25 babies were born into homelessness in one transitional housing facility alone last year. With a 300% surge in demand, providers are struggling to cope.

That a young mother and her baby are discharged from hospital to live in a garage ... in 2025 ... in New Zealand ... is nothing short of a national disgrace. Such important reporting from Mildred Armah www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3607...

A New Zealander lives here, sleeping upright in the driver’s seat. He’s 64 Bob would be lost without his ute. It’s his office, it’s his bedroom, it’s his home.

Really important work from my extremely talented colleague Mildred Armah! www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3607...

Continuous refilling of the Tūī feeder required on this very wet day. Every time I go into the kitchen I am faced with trees filled with Tūī staring at me

The War on History News that the Ministry for Culture and Heritage is to press ahead with sweeping cuts that will abolish the jobs of most of its historians represents yet...

Wrote a little piece on the cuts at MCH and the wider war on history in NZ.

buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

‘Native Districts’ and the New Zealand Constitution Act 1852 Asked to nominate the point at which relations between Māori and Pākehā had really begun to turn sour in the nineteenth century, many historians would likely...

My latest newsletter discusses the 1852 New Zealand Constitution Act, including section 71 providing for self-governing 'Native Districts' and a less well-known provision under the 1846 Constitution Act that included something very similar.
buttondown.com/unsettling/a...

Great school holiday activity! Thank you!

2/2 "Thinking of that supposed journalistic ideal of objectivity and how obscene it would be in this circumstance."

1/2 It's a privilege to call @paulapenfold.bsky.social a colleague... This par from her latest substack is chef's kiss: "Interviews where not only the talent (that awful TV term for interviewees) is in tears but so is the reporter, the producer, the cameraman."

The question from a mental health professional that left a domestic abuse survivor feeling distraught A survivor of domestic abuse says she was victim shamed by a staff member at 1737 - the mental health support provider.

www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3607...

The Clean’s Hamish Kilgour felt overwhelmed by life challenges before death, coroner says A coroner’s report into Kilgour’s death found he was struggling with depression and low mood.

A coroner's report into the death of The Clean's Hamish Kilgour found he was struggling adapting to a new life back in NZ

www.stuff.co.nz/culture/3607...

Inner-city art installation

Cartoon. Title: “New Mission Statement”. Images of injuries: broken bones, eye injuries, spinal injuries, head, hands, feet, legs, and a coffin, spell out the words “WORK SAFE” Below that it says, “Safety at Work” and Brooke Van Velden in the lower right corner adds, “Within reason”

Brooke Van Velden’s new mission statement for WorkSafe.
My Stuff #cartoon today #NZpol #HealthAndSafety #WorkSafe #WorkplaceInjuries

www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3607...
“The police say they have tried hard to foster trust with the sex worker community — that if we make a complaint to them that we will be taken seriously. But when we caught someone red-handed they essentially did nothing."

Two more sex workers speak of the night the PM’s press sec was busted “I have the Prime Minister’s phone number in my hand. Should I call him and let him know what’s happened?”

Don’t gloss over the detail that that Holly had already been recorded - twice, once video and once audio - by a different client.

"Nah, it's fucked Dave"

‘She’s a narcissistic autistic’: The bitter feud between a disabled woman and an advocate A woman says an advocate she trusted to help her navigate Work and Income benefits charged her $2600 for his services over a period of 13 days.

Brilliant work from my wonderfully talented colleague, Mildred Armah www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/3606...

Research finds rape threats against female MPs common It comes as the Justice Minister is getting advice on better protection for publicly elected officials.

Democracy while female www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Cartoon. Title: PM confirms Many treaty submissions will be excluded. The Aotearoa New Zealand coat of arms has come alive. The pakeha woman is cross with Luxon. She's had enough of his shit. She's grabbing him by his ear (yanking pretty hard) and says, "When you make a promise Christopher, you keep it!" He's a tiny looking boy (in his big boy suit) wincing and crying out "It's David's fault!" To the right of the coat of arms our Māori partner stands with his elbow on top of the crest with his fingers pinching the top of his nose in exasperation.

My cartoon in today's www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/3606...

Over night some back peddling took place...it's still not good enough so let's hope they see the light and accept all treaty bill submissions made.

#NzPol #Caricature #Cartoon #TreatyBillSubmission #Treaty #Luxon #Māori #CoatOfArms

A baby in a tent, a granddad sleeping in a slide: The growing homelessness ‘epidemic’ Outreach workers saw almost 60 new people living on the street in January alone, including an 8-week-old baby living in a tent.

Outreach kaimahi (worker) Josh Potter-Gardiner has also seen a family of six stuck living in a portacom, a 75-year-old grandfather sleeping in a slide, and full-time workers and students living in their cars.

The $2m contract to senior govt advisor’s business partner Health NZ awarded an unadvertised $2m contract to a company co-founded by a senior adviser.

John Bennett had resigned as an MBI Health director but was in business with its cofounder in two other companies when it was awarded a $2m Health NZ contract that wasn’t advertised. He was advising Health NZ at the time.

Senior govt manager stood down after physical contact, conflict concerns Top manager stood down, ACC investigating after physical contact, conflict concerns, and fresh questions from Stuff.

Breaking: ACC top manager John Bennett stood down after our series of stories raising concerns about his conduct