A Children’s Commission report released this week shows that entrenched attitudes at Oranga Tamariki are still endangering whānau Māori. This is what colonisation looks like, writes former Oranga Tamariki employee Luke Fitzmaurice. Children’s Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft yesterday released the first of two reports into the removal of Māori babies by the Ministry for Children … Read more
Of the huge funding boost coming for early childhood education, Playcentre has been left with just the crumbs, writes Kate Barber. Amid all the celebration of the $430m funding boost for early childhood education (ECE) announced in this year’s budget, little attention was paid to the plight of Playcentre. The organisation has been earmarked just … Read more
An exclusive interview with Steve McSteverson about his traumatic and tragic ordeal this week. Many New Zealanders are struggling with the news that a children’s book not commissioned or authorised by Jacinda Ardern was advertised in a newsletter for children’s books. This horrific attack on New Zealanders whose ears are permanently fused to Magic Talk … Read more
From 1846 onwards, various militia came together to form the New Zealand Armed Constabulary Force, to ‘combat Māori hostiles and to keep civil order’. In 1885 they changed uniforms and became the New Zealand Police. We’re still feeling the effects of that whakapapa today, writes Emilie Rākete. America is burning, burning like Rome. And like … Read more
The commitment and coordination demonstrated can inspire us towards a true Te Tiriti partnership, reinforced by human rights, write Meng Foon, the race relations commissioner, and Paul Hunt, the chief human rights commissioner. As we all get used to life at Covid-19 alert level two, we’ve been thinking about the success of the Iwi-led checkpoints … Read more
This is a huge opportunity – and a wero – to demonstrate commitments to diversity, write sector engineers Troy Brockbank, Elle Archer, Sifa Pole and Sina Cotter Tait and Honor Columbus. Aotearoa is awash with discussion on how we might re-imagine our post-Covid future; what could and should our economy and society look like? The … Read more
No, there is nothing ‘wrong’ with being white. But it comes with unearned privilege which makes progress through the world easier. It is a tailwind through every storm, writes Mary Breheny, associate professor of health sciences at Massey University. I have never thought of myself as coordinated or physically adept, but since the first week … Read more
Felix Walton has tall friends. These are his best tips for getting by in an unforgiving world. I am not a short person – let’s get that squared away. I am a perfectly ordinarily sized person whose friends happen to be a bunch of freaky statuesque Adonises (Adoni?). My friends are also, apparently, very busy … Read more
Like other pharmaceutical products, a potential Covid-19 vaccine is at risk of being controlled by corporate interests. New Zealanders should join the call for a vaccine that’s free for everyone, writes Jo Spratt of Oxfam. As we celebrate a long weekend and head further away from the restrictions of strict lockdown, many of us will … Read more
As part of a $175 million arts package, a new $7.5 million ‘Careers Support for Creative Jobseekers’ programme was announced today, building on ‘the most successful aspects’ of the former Pathways to Arts and Cultural Employment (Pace) programme, which ran from 2001-2012. Former Pace recipient Henry Oliver writes on what he learned on what became … Read more
The prime minister yesterday announced a package including $25m to ‘provide artists whose projects are funded by Creative NZ with jobs.’ An even more substantial investment in the creative arts will help drive our post-Covid recovery, argues Paul Millar. When Covid-19 forced the postponement of the popular international literary festival WORD Christchurch, director Rachael King … Read more
Te Mana o te Wai is being heralded as a game-changer for waterways. But for one freshwater scientist, it’s a bitter disappointment. Two weeks into alert level two, it seems we have already forgotten all those resolutions about the pandemic being an environmental “wake-up call” to do things differently. Despite being issued by a government … Read more
In a world where players have unfettered access to fans through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, it raises the question of whether traditional media still has a role to play. But as Scotty Stevenson explains, a player-driven model powered by social media can only go so far. Among the many weird and wonderful tales of the … Read more
Diversifying the export economy is a worthy goal – but let’s be realistic about what throwing away a critical relationship with China would mean for New Zealand, writes Stephen Jacobi of the NZ International Business Forum. In a 2018 study of 183 economies’ dependence on China, undertaken by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and … Read more
It makes sense to focus on our unique selling points as a country during the post-Covid rebuild. But we also have to live the values we market to the world, writes Jessica Desmond. Earlier this week ‘future of food’ expert Rosie Bosworth wrote that to turbo-boost our Covid recovery, New Zealand should capitalise on our … Read more
How many hours you can and should work each week depends on the mode of thinking your job requires, writes Simon Hertnon. Our national discussion about a four-day week has jumped out of first gear, thanks to last week’s Facebook live video by prime minister Jacinda Ardern. In the video, which quickly garnered global media … Read more
Could a taiao values approach to our economy be the key to bridging the gap between protecting our environment and prospering as people? Dr Amanda Black from the Bio-Protection Research Centre explains how. Aotearoa has been economically dependent on our primary sector for generations. But in this new Covid-19-framed world, that dependence will be magnified. … Read more
A tax-free payment of $490 a week would be life-changing for people like me, writes beneficiary Eamonn Marra. The government’s decision to give those made redundant by Covid-19 $490 tax free a week for 12 weeks is a good one. When you lose your job your income stops but your bills continue; you have to … Read more
The chief propagandist of rage against the privileged Westminster elite has proved himself the epitome of the privileged Westminster elite, writes Elle Hunt from London. He is the prime minister’s top adviser, he unambiguously broke the rules around lockdown, and people have already been fired for less. But I never really thought that Dominic Cummings … Read more
There’s more to the finance minister’s controversial move than meets the eye, argues Max Rashbrooke. If you’re a current beneficiary, I can see how it looks like a slap in the face. Finance minister Grant Robertson yesterday announced that people rendered unemployed by the coronavirus will receive a 12-week benefit of $490 a week, nearly … Read more
The world will always need food, and New Zealand is enviably positioned to capitalise on this, writes future foods expert Rosie Bosworth – but we need to take a few big steps first. It’s a bittersweet moment for New Zealand. As a nation we’ve collectively worked hard to successfully flatten the curve (for now). But … Read more
Will the door be open to a new National leadership, and does the party need to flex its muscle to get noticed in the coming months? Suddenly it’s election year again. The National Party has jettisoned Simon Bridges in favour of Todd Muller, a sensible man with a firm handshake. Over the weekend Jacinda Ardern … Read more
From international relations to climate change to world trade, New Zealand has an opportunity to affect the post-pandemic world for the better, writes Robert G Patman in this paper for the SSANSE Commission for a Post-Covid Future at the University of Canterbury The Covid-19 crisis has confirmed the near breakdown of an international rules-based order … Read more
Felix Geiringer had no idea what was in store for him when his family moved to South Africa early this year. Here he writes about the move, the science of cooking eggs and Covid-19. In January, I moved to South Africa with my family. The move came about after my partner was appointed New Zealand’s … Read more
From our recent spate of natural disasters to the challenges posed by Covid-19, we’re reminded that building resilience should be about avoiding or limiting damage in the first place, writes Richard Smith, Director, Resilience to Nature’s Challenges May 18 marked the 40th anniversary of the volcanic eruption of Mount Saint Helens in Washington, USA. A … Read more
Charismatic leadership has historically been less important to New Zealand voters on the right. But when the country was thrown into crisis the old rules suddenly no longer applied, writes Danyl Mclauchlan. And just like that the National Party has a new leader. Todd Muller has replaced Simon Bridges because of profound policy and ideological … Read more
A new ad campaign that claims “crowded public transport” is a danger to your bubble is stoking unfounded fears, argues Wellington regional councillor Thomas Nash. Update, 23 May: Wilson Parking New Zealand has issued a statement in response to this column which is published in full below. You might think it would be a brazen … Read more
Bridges will be licking his wounds right now, but don’t count him out for good, writes Liam Hehir. Simon Bridges is no longer the leader of the New Zealand National Party. He never hit it off with the public but strong party vote polling kept him in the job. When that melted away in the … Read more
Proposed reforms to the RMA would see local communities’ place in the decision-making process replaced by appointed ‘Expert Consenting Panels’. That’s a real risk when now, more than ever, we need open debate on the future of this country, argues Amanda Thomas. My bubble has been my partner and me, and our geriatric dog. Through … Read more