Newly promoted minister Kiritapu Allan has said what a lot of people think but feel unable to say. She lashed out in a tweet against “tokenistic” use of te reo by employees of DOC “as an attempt to show govt depts are culturally competent”. She told Stuff she encouraged the use of the Maori language, Read more
People with different levels of digital literacy will not be excluded from getting their Covid vaccine pass, says Covid Minister, Chris Hipkins. He gave the assurance, Wednesday on NewstalkZB. Singling out the elderly, Hipkins acknowledged that not all people have the required digital skills necessary to get the vaccine pass. He said they will be Read more
With the introduction of medical abortion and fewer restrictions on who can provide them, it is now simpler and easier for New Zealanders to receive an abortion. On Saturday, Labour’s Associate Minister of Health Dr Ayesha Verrall announced the medications can now be prescribed by primary care practitioners, including GPs, midwives, and nurse practitioners. She Read more
What began as a controversy over a judge’s decision to leave a young Maori girl in the care of her Pakeha foster-parents has touched off an extraordinary judicial scandal that threatens to shake public confidence in the integrity of the courts. Allegations made by lawyer Tony Ellis implicate New Zealand’s two most senior judges in Read more
Auckland’s move to alert level 3 has also triggered speculation about whether the national Covid-19 elimination strategy has failed or is even being abandoned. While the government denies it, others clearly believe it is at least a possibility. The uncertainty is troubling. If elimination fails or is abandoned, it would suggest we have not learnt Read more
Michael Cullen set out his political philosophy in his autobiography. So has Chris Finlayson. His is having a significant impact on Māori development. Chris Finlayson was Minister for Treaty Negotiations (and Attorney General) between 2008 and 2017. (Alas, he was Minister of Arts, Culture and Heritage for only six of those years.) His record is Read more
Perhaps Fr Te Awhitu’s main place in the history of the Catholic Church in Aotearoa / New Zealand is that he is the first Māori to become a Catholic priest. He was ordained in 1944 when 30 years old by Archbishop O’Shea. Wiremu Hakopa Toa Te Awhitu began his life near Taumarunui on 28th July Read more
Church leaders are preaching the good word – this time urging people to get their COVID-19 vaccinations. Their campaign aims to fight against “echo chambers” of misinformation on social media amongst their communities. “We know that 80 percent of Pasifika communities have some sort of affiliation with churches, church communities,” says John Kleinsman, director of Read more
While I am always happy to celebrate any accolades my country and city might garner on the international stage, seeing Auckland/Tāmaki Makaurau awarded the top ranking in a recent “most liveable cities” survey left me somewhat flummoxed. In particular, I would argue that many Māori whānau in Auckland do not enjoy the benefits of this Read more
New Zealand’s Catholic Bishops’ Conference has deferred the national hikoi prior to this August’s renewal of Aotearoa New Zealand’s dedication to Our Lady Assumed into Heaven. The bishops have decided to postpone the hikoi in which a specially-commissioned artwork will be displayed. Bishop Stephen Lowe, (pictured) Secretary of the Bishops’ Conference, says the bishops revised Read more