The Catholic Church’s Auckland Justice and Peace Commission told a Parliamentary committee on Wednesday that land games and delaying tactics by a supermarket duopoly is hindering the lease of land to other food distributors is not helping bring down grocery prices. It is one of several points the Commission made to Parliament’s Economic Development, Science Read more
The price of crude oil has risen sharply. It will increase the cost of living, joining a range of other unavoidable purchases. For households on lower incomes, the weekly budget just got much harder. It is a good time to look closely at household budgets and seek help if the budget doesn’t balance. International crude Read more
An estimated one in 100 New Zealanders are homeless with 24 per cent of the total homeless population being children and there are warnings this number could be higher. According to 2013 census data, which was collated by the University of Otago, Wellington’s Dr Kate Amore in her Severe Housing Deprivation in New Zealand study, Read more
The Tax Working Group chaired by Sir Michael Cullen is due to produce its interim report this month. This will consider the issue of whether New Zealand should continue not to tax most capital gains (tax the fruit from the tree, but not any growth in the tree that bears the fruit). The Labour Party, Read more
The Council of Priests in the Wellington Archdiocese, is encouraging parishes, to continue to promote a “culture of life”, and respect for the elderly, terminally ill, and vulnerable persons in our society. In a memorandum sent by Cardinal Dew to all parishes they say, “We encourage parishes in their regular Mass of Anointing of the Read more
209. Jesus, the evangelizer par excellence and the Gospel in person, identifies especially with the little ones (cf. Mt25:40). This reminds us Christians that we are called to care for the vulnerable of the earth. But the current model, with its emphasis on success and self-reliance, does not appear to favour an investment in efforts Read more
The Government is rejecting opposition criticism of welfare reforms and says it’s on track to get 46,000 people off benefits over the next four years. Laws are going to be changed, requiring solo parents on a benefit to look for part-time work when their youngest child is five and fulltime work when that child turns Read more
Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster has said in a speech to MPs, peers and charity workers that Government cuts are “already being felt disproportionally by the most vulnerable”.
It is the closest a Catholic bishop in England and Wales has come to criticising the Coalition’s austerity measures.
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