The Government will cover costs for survivors of abuse in care to attend a long-awaited national apology – after some missed out on support to witness the tabling of the Royal Commission of Inquiry report. Lead Coordination Minister Erica Stanford says it’s critically important Government “gets it right” and the apology is well-run, survivors are Read more
New Zealand
Government to cover costs for abuse survivors to attend national apology following report release
Monday, September 16th, 2024Religious leaders get lesson in democracy
Thursday, September 12th, 2024
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he supports the Christian leaders in expressing their views; however, he has not seen a full draft of the ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill. He was responding to Monday’s open letter from over 400 religious leaders who, sight unseen, wanted the Bill voted down at the first reading, preventing Read more
Kilbirnie Mosque to broadcast Call-to-Prayer
Thursday, September 12th, 2024
Wellington’s Kilbirnie Mosque has confirmed plans to broadcast the Islamic call-to-prayer three times a year, putting to rest claims that it would occur five times a day. The request includes broadcasts on the anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks and during two major Islamic festivals, Eid al-Adha and Eid al-Fitr. The decision comes after Mayor Read more
Volunteering makes the Tauranga migrant feel at home
Thursday, September 12th, 2024
Jason Rigon, a Filipino migrant and President of Club Filipino Tauranga Inc., is making significant strides in helping newcomers acclimatise to their new home in New Zealand. Volunteering makes the Tauranga migrant feel at home. Rigon (photographed with his family), who moved to Tauranga with his wife Joy and their three sons in 2017, has Read more
Broken cathedral could be opened for public tours
Thursday, September 12th, 2024Residents and visitors may be allowed a peek inside Christ Church Cathedral, but public land borrowed for its now-mothballed restoration could remain behind high fences. As the Anglican Church thrashed out what happens next at the Cathedral Square site, it has indicated ongoing fundraising and public tours look likely. In late August Christ Church Cathedral Read more
Kitteridge oversees Crown bosses responding to abuse inquiry
Thursday, September 12th, 2024Rebecca Kitteridge, the former spy boss has replaced the department head who said survivors and lawyers drummed up abuse claims, as the Government progresses its response to the Royal Commission. This comes as the Government beefs up the Crown’s response unit, puts in place new oversight, and moves the work out of Oranga Tamariki and Read more
Poverty is raising dementia rates
Monday, September 9th, 2024
Dementia and poverty go together. So researchers say in the latest Briefing from the Department of Public Health at the University of Otago, Wellington. They say the risk of developing dementia is 60 per cent higher for people living in New Zealand’s most deprived areas compared to those in the least deprived. Right now, our Read more
Christian leaders want Treaty Principles Bill voted down
Monday, September 9th, 2024
Christian leaders want MPs to vote down the Treaty Principles Bill at its first reading. The 440 senior leaders from Catholic, Anglican, Salvation Army, Baptist and Methodist denominations, under the “Common Grace” umbrella, expressed their views in an open letter. On Monday, September 9, the Cabinet saw a draft version of David Seymour’s controversial bill Read more
Government progresses response to Abuse in Care recommendations
Monday, September 9th, 2024A Crown Response Office is being established within the Public Service Commission to drive the Government’s response to the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. “The creation of an Office within a central Government agency was a key recommendation by the Royal Commission’s final report. “It will have the mandate to drive action across the Read more
‘Pure joy’ as schools spread kindness
Monday, September 9th, 2024Spreading kindness in the community brought “pure joy” to the faces of Dunedin school children. The pupils of nine Dunedin Catholic schools held a social justice day yesterday, taking part in 14 different projects throughout the city including a rubbish cleanup of the Town Belt, baking for residents of Ross Home and connecting with pensioners. Read more