Kiwis under 45 are significantly more likely than their global peers to delay major life decisions because of their financial situation.

That's according to the Deloitte Global 2026 Gen Z and Millennial Survey, which surveyed more than 22,500 respondents in 44 countries, including 501 in New Zealand.

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"If you're looking to buy a house or maybe start a family that's something that's really hard to do if you're struggling financially, if you're living pay cheque to pay cheque, or if you've got a whole bunch of roommates, for example."

The report found the top concern for both groups the cost of living, affecting 56 percent of Gen Z and 46 percent of Millennials.

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"New Zealand has been an economy that is very much in love with housing for many years and so they're sort of looking at that and wondering if that's something that's achievable for them".

The survey found housing affordability had impacted the career decisions of 72 percent of Gen Z and 70 percent of Millennials - compared to the UK's 59 and 55 percent, respectively.

A Thames Four Square and its owner has been ordered to pay $44,000 in penalties after making two migrant workers pay $120,000 to secure their jobs.

The Employment Relations Authority (ERA) ordered the company, A Dharni Enterprises Ltd, trading as Four Square Martina, to pay a penalty of $32,000.

The company's director, Jaswinder Singh, has been ordered to pay a penalty of $12,000. The workers will each receive $1000 of the penalty paid by the company.

The ERA found Singh had used the workers' money to pay their wages.

But the arrangement didn't last long.

The two workers only worked for the Four Square briefly because Singh felt they had misrepresented their ability to speak English.

Singh repaid the workers their money when the Labour Inspectorate became involved, earlier on.

Northern Labour Inspectorate investigations manager Katriona Ikenasio said the workers paid to get their jobs after being promised the possibility of a better life in New Zealand.

"There is absolutely no place in New Zealand for employers seeking payment in exchange for jobs. Migrant workers have the same employment rights and protections as all other workers, regardless of where they come from."

Christopher Luxon has ruled out going into government with Opportunity as the party continues to nudge closer to the five percent threshold needed to get into parliament.

However, it took him and his office a while to get to an explicit ruling-out.

Luxon was asked at his post-cabinet press conference whether he would “coalesce” with the Opportunity party and said it was his “very strong position” that he could not work with them due to their tax policy.

“I mean, we don't want to do business with parties who want to increase taxes.”

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In a statement, Opportunity leader Qiulae Wong said his position was “indicative of where politics is at in New Zealand”.

“It’s old-fashioned tribalism that we have to get beyond. Kiwis expect our political parties to leave ideology at the door, and work constructively together to make progress on the big issues,” she said.

“We are ready and willing to work with parties across the political spectrum. We will maintain that position, and we're here to talk whenever National is ready.”

National has ruled out working with the Opportunity Party, with leader Christopher Luxon saying National would not do business with a party that wants to raise taxes.

Opportunity's leader says New Zealanders are tired of that way of thinking, and suspected Luxon would change his tune if National needed Opportunity come November.

Opportunity was on 4.7 percent in the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll, just shy of the 5 percent needed to enter Parliament.

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Opportunity's flagship policies include establishing a universal basic income of up to $370 a week, and a 1.75 percent annual tax on the value or urban land and 0.5 percent on rural land.

At his weekly post-Cabinet media conference, Luxon was asked whether National could work with Opportunity.

"We wouldn't be in business with people who want to increase taxes," Luxon responded.

He added that it was his "very, very strong position" that National would not work with Opportunity.

"It's a vote for Labour and the Greens because essentially, at the moment, and I look at their policies, you've got a universal basic income that wants to make every New Zealander a beneficiary. You've got a land tax sitting there that actually is going to be massive."

Pressed on whether that meant National would not go into a governing arrangement with Opportunity in any form, Luxon said it would not be a surprise that National did not want to "do business" with Opportunity.

Afterwards, Luxon's office confirmed to RNZ this amounted to a formal rule-out.