Ethnic leaders in New Zealand are repeating their calls for greater participation in shaping government policy. They have already met with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and on 10 October met with Opposition leader Chris Hipkins and several senior members of the Labour Party. Specific concerns The ethnic leaders told Hipkins and his cohorts they are Read more
There is a lack of education, data and definition in the fight against child trafficking in the Pacific, a human rights advocate says. Shamima Ali, of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre, said child rape is rife and rampant in many parts of the Pacific. “But as far as trafficking is concerned, it should be of Read more
New Zealand’s government should confront Indonesia over its alleged human rights violations in West Papua, human rights activists and West Papua independence activists in Aotearoa say. The UN Human Rights Council has reported the human rights situation in West Papua has deteriorated, citing reports of torture and mass displacement. “We know the violence that West Read more
As part of a $4 billion savings initiative announced on Monday, the Government will cut $236 million from climate policies on agriculture, transport and forestry. One unusual aspect of the move is that climate funding is supposed to be ring-fenced solely for climate policies, but the savings will instead be returned to the general coffers. Read more
For the last two decades critics have seen Working for Families (WFF) as discriminatory, poorly designed, far too complex and woefully ineffective in addressing the worst child poverty. In 2004, CPAG explained what was so wrong in a publication called Cut Price Kids and has been campaigning to fix WFF ever since. After the WEAG Read more
A Pacific kava expert has praised the New Zealand Government for its cultural understanding in choosing not to restrict kava use in this country. Meanwhile, the Australian Government is urgently tightening its rules on kava use. Last year, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) agreed to amend the status of kava in the Australia New Read more
Gun control in New Zealand mightn’t be as firm as some might think. There are a million guns somewhere and nobody knows where most of them are or who has them. Despite significant progress in banning some kinds of firearms and confiscating others, New Zealand still has no gun registry. “We might be east of Read more
Health Minister Andrew Little is facing calls to release the final report from a review of Pharmac. The Independent Pharmac Review Panel’s final report has not yet been released, though the Government has received it. An interim report released last year found the strategy of the drug-buying agency disadvantaged Māori, Pasifika, disabled people and those Read more
Archbishop of Wellington Cardinal John Dew says Pope Francis is deeply concerned about the invasion being justified as a holy war. In recent weeks, the Russia’s Patriarch Kirill has used religious language to justify his support for Russia’s military aggression. Even Kirill’s own supporters are looking elsewhere, says Dew. “The invasion has created new ecumenical Read more
Housing, access to COVID vaccination, income and well being, are some of the major concerns church leaders raised recently at a church and government meeting. As reported recently by CathNews, church leaders met, March 11, with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni and Housing Minister Megan Woods to discuss issues of mutual Read more