Across the Pacific, people are picking up the bones of their ancestors like shells on the beach. Burial grounds are being washed away by rising tides. Communities are shoring up seawalls with old tyres. I was raised on the beautiful island of Tonga. When I was a child, my parents and grandparents would come out Read more
Credit arrears are continuing to climb as the challenging economic conditions put pressure on households. Data from credit bureau Centrix shows 11.9 percent of New Zealanders were in arrears in January – a four year high – with 430,000 people behind on repayments, which was an increase of 20,000 from December. The number of households Read more
Low income New Zealanders now owe more than $2.1 billion to the Ministry of Social Development as they continue to have to borrow money to survive. The latest figures show beneficiaries owe $200 million more than the same time last year. In this year’s Budget, the Government gave those over 18 and earning $70,000 or Read more
The cost of living is forcing people in debt into increased loneliness and isolation, Christians Against Poverty (CAP) says. For them, it’s at least as bad as the isolation during the pandemic lockdowns. The charity surveyed 750 of its clients for its latest study. Published on Monday to coincide with the start of Mental Health Read more
It’s tough to picture the future if you’re a New Zealander under 30. Your first home has never been more out of reach, if you want to live in one of the main centres – not that we have much of a choice, because high rates of unemployment and thousands of dollars of student debt Read more
The Lowy institute has expressed concern about the Pacific nations’ growing indebtedness. The report surveys Pacific states for a breakdown of the aid and loans they have received from China. It states that China’s aid to Pacific nations over five years totals just over $NZ800 million. The bulk of China’s aid is through soft loans Read more