A Baptist pastor who is about to become Wellington’s new Dean of the Anglican church comes with a chequered past, including convictions for fraud and burglary of a parishioner’s house – all while he was a Bay of Plenty pastor. But the church says Lloyd (known as Digby) Wilkinson is an “ideal” candidate who has Read more
New Zealand
NZ bishops re-emphasise need for two new bishops
Monday, November 14th, 2022
New Zealand’s Catholic bishops are again stressing the importance of bishops to the Palmerston North and Hamilton dioceses. At their November meeting the bishops re-emphasised the need for two bishops to the Pope’s diplomatic representative to New Zealand, His Excellency, Archbishop Novatus Rugambwa (pictured). New Zealand bishops are appointed through the Dicastery for Evangelisation headed Read more
Legislating against hate speech sounds like a bad idea
Monday, November 14th, 2022
It would be a tragedy for this country if, influenced by overseas excesses, we were to legislate for hate speech. Such legislation could have a chilling effect on debate here on all manner of issues, says former Attorney General Chris Finlayson. Yet that’s exactly what’s likely to happen. Justice Minister Kiri Allan says she will Read more
NZ Catholic bishops welcome new Te Rōpū Māori
Monday, November 14th, 2022
The New Zealand’s Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) welcomed the Church’s new Te Rōpū Māori to their November meeting. The new group’s purpose is to work with the NZCBC on agenda items of importance to Katorika (Catholic) Māori. “The aim is that they provide a well-grounded voice for Katorika Māori and work in partnership with the Read more
Climate change pushing more Samoans to take up seasonal work in NZ – study
Monday, November 14th, 2022More Samoans are taking up seasonal work in New Zealand to provide for their families, as the effects of climate change continue to ravage the Pacific region, a new study has revealed. Research by Dr Christina Tausa from the University of Canterbury revealed seasonal work in New Zealand was becoming more attractive as Pacific Islanders Read more
Racism affects 40 percent of Asian New Zealanders since Covid-19 pandemic onset
Monday, November 14th, 2022Forty percent of Asian New Zealanders have experienced racism since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to researchers at the University of Auckland. The paper, published in the New Zealand Medical Journal on Friday, finds groups most likely to experience anti-Asian hate were temporary migrants, students, and those living in rural communities. Author Dr Read more
ACT fears people missing out on euthanasia
Thursday, November 10th, 2022
Looser criteria in the euthanasia law are needed, says ACT Party leader David Seymour. A year after coming into force, the End of Life Choice Act is working well and opponents of the law change had “melted away,” Seymour says. “The figures overwhelmingly show a law that is working. People can and do get through Read more
Soaring food inflation looks likely to continue next year
Thursday, November 10th, 2022
New Zealand’s food inflation is already soaring. The current situation is not good, and the outlook’s probably even worse. Stats NZ says food price inflation in New Zealand jumped 8.3 percent year-on-year in August 2022. All food categories gained annually: fruit and vegetables (16 percent), grocery food (7.7 percent), meat, poultry & fish (6.7 percent), Read more
No deadline for phasing out motel emergency accommodation
Thursday, November 10th, 2022The government cannot give a deadline for phasing out emergency motel accommodation, but the Social Development Minister told Checkpoint she would reveal the results of a review and redesign by the end of the year. A “bloody fiasco”, a “failed govt experiment”, and “tantamount to child abuse” – some of the descriptions of the accommodation. Read more