National’s police spokesperson Mark Mitchell says the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s report into the police response to last year’s parliament occupation leaves some “serious questions unanswered”, particularly around potential political pressure put on police.

The report, released this morning, details an episode on February 9, the day before the ill-fated first attempt to break up the protest. Following a discussion with then deputy prime minister Grant Robertson and attorney general David Parker, speaker Trevor Mallard phoned the assistant commissioner of police. “In that conversation he communicated his view that police should remove protesters from parliament grounds. The assistant commissioner responded that he would contact the commissioner so the matter could be discussed with him.”

Mallard, Robertson and Parker later spoke with the commissioner of police, after which “the commissioner rang the assistant commissioner and made clear his expectation that there was to be a police operation on the following day to clear parliament grounds of protesters”. The assistant commissioner regarded this expectation as an order from the commissioner, said the report, and communicated it to the local controller, and the operation was commenced the next morning. The commissioner acknowledged the discussion with the politicians had been “uncomfortable”, but was “adamant that he had reached his own independent judgment”.

The report noted that many police officers spoken to believed the decision to attempt to break up the protest on February 10 was a result of strong political pressure, which some inferred intruded on police operational independence.

“The frontline staff we interviewed were overwhelmingly of the view that it was obvious to them from early in the operation (although not necessarily beforehand) that it would not succeed,” said the report. “We were repeatedly told that the direction to proceed with the operation would not have been given unless police had succumbed to the political pressure.”

The authority said it would be “most concerned” if this had been the case, and all of those involved were questioned about it. “As a result of those enquiries, we are satisfied there was nothing inappropriate in the interaction between the commissioner and either the speaker or other ministers.”

In the media release, Mitchell questioned why the tactics and operation of the police response “suddenly had a change in direction following this meeting”, and why no records of the meeting were kept.

He also questioned why the actions of Mallard, who set sprinklers on protesters and played Barry Manilow through the loudspeakers, have not been addressed, and why the then prime minister did not inform opposition leaders “that she had received a request from police to meet with protest leaders in an attempt to help with a peaceful outcome”.

Prime minister Chris Hipkins has responded to the Independent Police Conduct Authority’s recommendation that laws relating to trespass and arrest be reviewed after they were found lacking during the police response to the 2022 parliament occupation.

The IPCA identified “a number of areas where the current law is not fit-for-purpose for the mass public disorder situation that confronted police on 10 February and on 2 March”, including the law of trespass, the law governing how arrests may be lawfully effected, and the law governing how property left behind by trespassers should be handled. It proposed “a multi-agency review of the laws governing a public order event”.

Speaking to media, Hipkins said any potential law change must not impinge on fundamental rights. “We have to tread carefully – the case law around this has been established over a long period of time, and I think before we did anything to unwind any of that, the right of protest is pretty fundamental in a democracy.”

While most New Zealanders would agree the events at parliament “stepped well out of bounds of normal protest”, said Hipkins, “we just have to be careful we don’t upset the balance and therefore prevent people being able to exercise their democratic rights, and that includes to protest”.

Hipkins’ comments echoed an earlier statement from police minister Ginny Andersen, who said, “Any changes would require careful consideration to ensure the fundamental democratic right of New Zealanders to assemble and protest aren’t impeded.”

Meanwhile, Act Party leader David Seymour has responded to the IPCA report by saying “police were put in an impossible position” and were “on the frontline fighting a war created by divisive vaccine policy and continually being inflamed by Labour MPs”. The protest was “a reflection on the government’s irrational and divisive response”, he said.

National is yet to formally respond to the report.

They were, shall we say, mixed reviews. Frank Ocean’s first performance in six years in a hyped Sunday night headlining slot at Coachella, did not go to plan, with his livestream cancelled at the last minute, and a retooling of his stage production, including an ice skating rink, making him an hour late on stage.

When he did make it out there, audience members complained they couldn’t see the reclusive performer, that he remixed many of his biggest songs, that he didn’t bother singing many of his songs, instead leaving it up to the crowd, and that a DJ played a mid-show set of bangers. A curfew saw Ocean’s performance cut short. A woman who streamed the show for fans from her phone was recently interviewed by Pitchfork.

It comes as no surprise, then, that Ocean has pulled out of his performance at weekend two of Coachella. On doctor’s advice, Ocean won’t be performing because of fractures and a sprain in his left leg. “After suffering an injury to his leg on festival grounds in the week leading up to weekend one, Frank Ocean was unable to perform the intended show but was still intent on performing, and in 72 hours, the show was reworked out of necessity,” a spokesperson told Complex.

Of the performance he did give, Ocean said: “It was chaotic … There is some beauty in chaos. It isn’t what I intended to show but I did enjoy being out there and I’ll see you soon.”

A source told Variety surprise weekend one performers Blink 182 would take Ocean’s spot. The weekend’s other headliners include Blackpink and Bad Bunny, who are all due to take part in the livestream set to continue this weekend. (Read our review of Coachella’s weekend one livestream here.)

Police commissioner Andrew Coster has accepted the findings of the IPCA’s report into 2022’s parliament occupation, saying he’s “immensely proud of the work of staff throughout the protest and on the final day of the occupation”.

In a statement, he noted that the report found the overall use of force was considered appropriate in the circumstances, but acknowledged “areas for improvement”, including public order policing, planning, command and control, equipment, and health and safety. Police’s own internal review highlighted similar areas and a “significant amount of work” has already been completed, “such as ordering more equipment, providing staff with more training, and beginning a full review of public order policing”.

A number of the IPCA recommendations “will now be incorporated into the work programme under way”, said Coster, adding that police were “committed to ensuring proper follow-through and will be tracking implementation of the recommendations over time”.

Police minister Ginny Andersen, meanwhile, has also responded to the report, saying she’s “particularly assured by the report’s finding that police ‘generally acted with remarkable restraint and professionalism, and all the tactics they used to defend themselves and others on 2 March were justified in the circumstances’.”

Andersen reiterated Coster’s comments that much of the work recommended in the report was already under way, adding that she would work with him to “ensure this is progressed”.

“The government will also respond to the recommendations regarding the laws governing public order events,” said Andersen. “Any changes would require careful consideration to ensure the fundamental democratic right of New Zealanders to assemble and protest aren’t impeded.”

The cost of living crisis continues to bite but inflation appears to have peaked, with Stats NZ reporting a 6.7% increase in the consumers price index for the year to March 2023, significantly lower than most economists’ expectations and a Reserve Bank forecast of 7.3%. It follows three consecutive seven-plus results, with 7.2% increases in the December and September 2022 quarters and a 7.3% increase in the June 2022 quarter. The quarterly inflation rate was 1.2%

Food was the biggest factor in the inflation rate, with rising prices for vegetables (22%), milk, cheese and eggs (9.7%) and ready-to-eat food (15%) especially to blame. Next on the list were housing and household utilities, largely as a result of rising prices for construction (11%, down from 14% measured in December) and rents (4.3%, versus 4.4% in the year to December).

The major mover in the other direction, Stats NZ noted, was petrol, which decreased 8.3% in the 12 months to March 2023. That followed a 2.4% increase in the 12 months to December 2022.

The finance minister, Grant Robertson, noted that the annual rate was lower than that in Australia and the UK, and came despite the impact of Cyclone Gabrielle. “The cost of living is the main challenge right now in the economy and will be a major focus in May’s budget,” he said in a statement.

There was nothing to celebrate in the result, said Nicola Willis, finance spokesperson for the National Party. “It’s a sad day when New Zealanders are being told to believe that annual price rises of 6.7% are somehow good news," she said in a statement. “The reality is that today’s data confirms the cost of living crisis has become a struggle without end for far too many New Zealanders and their families ... Today’s CPI figures mark the 24th month of New Zealand inflation levels being out of control, even while interest rates have been pummelling Kiwis with ever blunter force."

The highest recorded rate of non-tradeable, or domestic, inflation, at 6.8%, "proves New Zealand’s inflation problem can’t just be blamed on global factors", she said. "The Labour government’s stubborn refusal to rein in spending, reduce costs or fix worker shortages has fuelled our home-grown inflation fire, helping constant price rises become entrenched in our economy."

"This is one data point and we should be cautious about over interpretation. But hopefully this shows the start of a slowing trend in New Zealand," said CTU economist Craig Renney. "However the data provided showed that inflation is still concentrated in those areas which impact the lowest income households. Food prices increased 11.3%. Fruit and vegetable prices rose 20%. Those prices that you can’t avoid are rising more quickly," he wrote on social media. "This data supports our call for the Reserve Bank to pause further rate rises, and wait for more evidence before further increases. It also demonstrates the value of recent increases in the Minimum Wage and the Living Wage."

Step aside Legacys, Demios and Imprezas – there’s a new most-wanted car being targeted by thieves, and this one’s a hybrid. According to new statistics that show car thefts are on the rise, the Toyota Aqua – a hybrid also known as the Prius C – is the model being stolen the most from New Zealand streets, driveways and car parks.

That’s according to AMI, who released new statistics today that shows car thefts soared in 2022, up 43% on 2021. The Aqua topped the theft stats, accounting for 11% of AMI’s car theft claims despite only making up 1.5% of the country’s vehicle fleet. The Mazda Demio, 2021’s most stolen car, came in second, and the Nissan Tiida was in third place.

The top 10 also includes the discontinued sedan Toyota MarkX for the first time, with theft claims surging 2000% over the past three year pushing it into fifth place. The most popular regions for car thefts remains Auckland, with 2,986 claims. Canterbury is second with 1,214 claims.

Wayne Tippet, AMI’s executive general manager claims, says the Aqua seems to have taken the top spot because older car imports can lack security features. “This can make them more attractive to thieves,” he says.

He encourages car owners to take precautions when parking their vehicle, using garages, driveways or well-lit areas, and keeping them off the street whenever possible. Immobilisers, alarms and steering locks also work as deterrents.

Car thefts are on the rise after a Covid-induced dip, Tippet says. “Virtually all of these cars are recovered, so it’s likely they’re being stolen for joy rides or to commit other crimes, such as burglaries,” he says.

AMI’s top 10 most stolen vehicles for New Zealand (2022):

1. Toyota Aqua
2. Mazda Demio
3. Nissan Tiida
4. Mazda Atenza (Mazda 6)
5. Toyota MarkX
6. Toyota Vitz
7. Subaru Legacy
8. Toyota Corolla
9. Subaru Impreza
10. Mazda Familia

The Green Party is encouraging Labour to join the “emerging cross-party consensus” on a pathway to residency for recognised seasonal employer (RSE) workers, following National’s statement of support during its farming policy launch yesterday.

National would also scrap the current median wage requirements to bring in migrant workers, restart live exports of cattle under strict animal welfare rules, and cut red tape around what farmers can do with their land and livestock.

“A two-for-one rule. For every new regulation, two must be removed,” says National agriculture spokesperson Todd McClay. Labour’s Damien O’Connor calls the latter “a ridiculous proposal”, while Greenpeace warns ensuring “humane” live animal exports by sea is an impossible ask.

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The National Party’s Taieri candidate Stephen Jack has resigned after it was revealed by Stuff he had shared a Facebook post that compared former prime minister Jacinda Ardern to Adolf Hitler.

The post shared by Jack was a poem that contained the line: “Just as Hitler had the SS, our prime minister’s on the job. She’s given up on the police and bought the Mongrel Mob”. The poem was posted in 2021 and had remained on his social media until he shut the page down yesterday.

A spokesperson for the party confirmed to media that Jack stood down on Wednesday evening.

The offending Facebook post was the second incident involving Jack and his social media account to emerge this week. Earlier, it had been reported the hopeful MP had shared a sexist joke in 2020 that was this week labelled by National deputy leader Nicola Willis as “disgusting”.

Jack’s profile on the National website described him as a farmer who hoped to advocate for the rural community.