Phil Pennington, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) Journalist Profile

Articles

Rocket Lab joins Trump’s Golden Dome defence plan, NZ endorses project

1 week ago | nzherald.co.nz | Phil Pennington

Defence Minister Judith Collins told a security summit in Singapore the Golden Dome was justified. Photo / AFP, RNZBy Phil Pennington of RNZUnited States President Donald Trump’s Golden Dome missile defence project has won endorsement from New Zealand. The vision is of a vast shield of sensors, missiles, and even laser beams designed to take out conventional and nuclear missiles. Critics of the proposed system say it may fuel an arms race in space, and China and Russia have condemned it.
Largest private medical scanning company ready to take on public system's MRI, CT backlogs

1 week ago | rnz.co.nz | Phil Pennington

The country's largest private medical scanning company says it is "well placed" to become a national partner to the public health system. The government is outsourcing more medical procedures to private facilities to cut wait times and backlogs of patients. RHCNZ - which does MRIs, CTs, ultrasounds and the like - increased its revenues and earnings in the latest year by 8-9 percent, to $369m and $126m.
Largest private medical scanning company ready to take on public system's MRI, CT backlogs

1 week ago | radionz.co.nz | Phil Pennington

The country's largest private medical scanning company says it is "well placed" to become a national partner to the public health system. The government is outsourcing more medical procedures to private facilities to cut wait times and backlogs of patients. RHCNZ - which does MRIs, CTs, ultrasounds and the like - increased its revenues and earnings in the latest year by 8-9 percent, to $369m and $126m.
Drone funding in Budget does not include 'priority' maritime models

1 week ago | rnz.co.nz | Phil Pennington

Counter-drone systems received funding in this year's Budget, but this did not include maritime drones which the government's $12 billion defence capability plan says are crucial for transforming the Navy. The defence capability plan (DCP) called the maritime drones "a priority in the first four years". Militaries worldwide are rushing to buy or build both defence and attack drones, after they became crucial in Russia's war on Ukraine.
'High and ongoing' risk of more Oranga Tamariki privacy breaches - Commissioner

1 week ago | rnz.co.nz | Phil Pennington

Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster says the children's ministry remains at "high and ongoing risk" of disclosing vulnerable children's highly sensitive information. He has issued Oranga Tamariki a compliance notice to compel it to do more to fix its deficient training, data sharing and privacy systems. "Oranga Tamariki currently doesn't have sufficiently robust systems and practices in place to appropriately protect the personal information it holds," he said.
The Waikato Times

2 weeks ago | waikatotimes.co.nz | Phil Pennington
Stuff

2 weeks ago | stuff.co.nz | Phil Pennington
Sunken Manawanui listed as $77m write-off in Budget

2 weeks ago | rnz.co.nz | Phil Pennington

A $77 million write-off of the Navy ship Manawanui, which sunk off Samoa last October, is contained in the Budget papers on defence. These also show $32m in costs booked in for 2024-25, for the clean-up, salvage, and "other remedial activities" at the shipwreck. The dive-and-seafloor-survey ship, which the navy had had for five years, was insured for salvaging operations but not replacement.
Sunken Manawanui listed as $77m write-off in Budget

2 weeks ago | radionz.co.nz | Phil Pennington

A $77 million write-off of the Navy ship Manawanui, which sunk off Samoa last October, is contained in the Budget papers on defence. These also show $32m in costs booked in for 2024-25, for the clean-up, salvage, and "other remedial activities" at the shipwreck. The dive-and-seafloor-survey ship, which the navy had had for five years, was insured for salvaging operations but not replacement.
Budget 2025: Spy agencies funds cut as security threats grow

2 weeks ago | rnz.co.nz | Phil Pennington

* This article has been corrected to reflect the funding cut with a large infrastructure project coming to an end. Also reference to GBSI has been removed as there was no reference to it in Budget 25. Funding for the largest spy agency has taken a cut in Budget 2025. The $267m for the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) is well down on the previous two Budgets, and 20 per cent less than the GCSB's spending in the 2024/25 period.