Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Christchurch mosque shooter sentenced to life without parole, hundreds of millions set aside for Covid-19 vaccine, and the diverging inequalities of the economic recovery. The Christchurch mosque shooter will never leave prison for the rest of his natural life. Yesterday afternoon, a sentence of life without … Read more
Good morning and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Focus shifts to lawyer in NZ First Foundation scandal, Canterbury hail smashes crops, and tobacco companies cynically raise prices under tax cover. Around this time last year, a party leader had just brazened out a week of scandal, much of it focused on allegations of … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Phil Goff puts CCOs on notice, PM Ardern in Bangkok for crucial summit, and Greenpeace criticises continued fracking amid UK moratorium. Auckland mayor Phil Goff starts his second term facing a range of challenges, particularly around Council Controlled Organisations. CCO unaccountability appeared to be one of … Read more
The reward for being a smoker in the hospitality industry? Extra break time than non-smokers, causing many hospo workers to pick up the bad habit. For years it’s been a running joke in the hospitality industry that in order to get more breaks, young workers should start smoking. But it turns out there’s actually some … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Foreign interference fears rise around donations, anti poverty group disgusted at tobacco company approach, and Labour MP Clare Curran to depart in 2020. The National Party has denied MP Todd McClay facilitated a major party donation while he was the trade minister, reports Radio NZ. The allegation … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Concern about slow progress for major transport projects, smoking researcher under pressure over funding, and hikoi marches from Ihumātao to Ardern’s office. NZTA is struggling to get spending out the door, so the money isn’t flowing through the economy, reports Thomas Coughlan for Stuff. It’s because of … Read more
The government recently announced that it would ban smoking in cars when children under 18 are present, making the act a fineable offence. But social scientist Dr Kyro Selket argues the decision isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. On Sunday, I stopped at my local Franklin takeaway for one of their exceptional butter chicken … Read more
The government has just announced plans to regulate vaping and smokeless tobacco products in New Zealand. Here’s everything we know so far. So, what is it the government is doing exactly? The government has decided that next year, the Smoke-free Environments Act 1990 (SFEA) will be changed in order to clarify rules around vaping and … Read more
With Winston Peters condemning the Smokefree 2025 initiative and calling to lower the excise tax on tobacco, ASH health promoter Boyd Broughton questions whether lower prices would reduce tobacco-related crime and looks at the initiatives that have worked for our most vulnerable, Māori women, in the past. Wāhine Māori are, and always have been, acknowledged as vital … Read more
Today is World Smokefree Day, and we’re presenting two views on the future of tobacco and nicotine use. Here the NZ Initiative’s Jenesa Jeram argues for a ‘harm reduction’ approach – one which includes tobacco products. Today on World Smokefree Day, it is time to listen to the needs and preferences of smokers. Yes, that … Read more
Today is World Smokefree Day, and we’re presenting two views on the future of tobacco and nicotine use. Here the co-directors Otago University’s tobacco-control research group ASPIRE 2025 explain how we can build on existing success to make New Zealand almost entirely smokefree by 2025. New Zealand has a world-leading goal to reduce smoking to … Read more
Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. Rate of inflation higher for those with less, Winston Peters is going to China, and the government backtracks on much–needed Official Information Act reforms. The rate of inflation, typically assumed to be low recently in New Zealand, has been found to be higher for those who can least … Read more
Cigarettes, once sold in brightly coloured packets that were highly appealing to children, will now be drab and mostly covered by dire warnings. The Spinoff’s smoking correspondent Alex Braae reviews the new plain packaging. I remember watching New Zealand play in the Benson and Hedges cricket World Series when I was a kid. In fact, … Read more
New Zealand already has some of the highest tobacco taxes in the world, and now some campaigners are calling for them to raised much further. But how effective would that be? Not very, say tobacco-control experts Marewa Glover and David Sweanor. What’s needed are solutions that empower smokers, not punish them further. The government’s new … Read more
The associate housing minister has apologised again for his threats to non-government service providers. But Boyd Swinburn says a muzzle is a contractual reality for NGOs receiving government money. The hapless MP Alfred Ngaro has repeatedly apologised for “crossing the line” after his threats to withdraw funding for government sponsored organisations if they ever criticsed the … Read more
With the domestic sale of electronic cigarettes set for legalisation, the Ministry of Health is deciding on regulations to govern where, how and to whom they’re sold. The NZ Initiative’s Jenesa Jeram makes the argument for a light hand. Condoms are not 100 percent effective, but there are few who would advise that it means … Read more