Jacinda Ardern says she disagrees with the accusation of “unjustifiably slow” welfare reform made by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG). CPAG’s criticism of the Government’s response comes after more than 60 charities urged them to increase welfare payments in the lead-up to Christmas, which Ardern ruled out. Progress on welfare reform is being made, Read more
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has rejected a plea from 59 organizations to lift the level of welfare payments before Christmas. Trade unions, charities and poverty action groups were among those asking the government to address mass unemployment and poverty. Working through umbrella group ActionStation Aotearoa [New Zealand], the groups published an open letter, saying the Read more
Thousands of the 27,000 New Zealanders who ceased receiving the 12-week COVID-19 Income Relief Payments (CIRP) have not returned paid work. The Salvation Army says although the application period for CIRP ended last week, only one in ten people who have finished their CIRP are in work. Some people have been able to transition onto Read more
Over 60 religious and community groups are asking Jacinda Ardern to address current benefit levels that are keeping people in poverty. “During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, you acted quickly to set up the COVID income relief payment, which is nearly twice the amount of the usual jobseeker benefit. “You showed us that you Read more
Within minutes of being installed outside a US church, a statue called ‘Jesus the Homeless’ attracted attention and a police call-out. The bronze statue, depicting Jesus Christ as a homeless person lying under a blanket, had only been installed in the Cleveland churchyard for 20 minutes before the police were informed. The church’s pastor Fr Alex Read more
Back in 2017, before Jacinda Ardern was sworn in as prime minister, she said she wanted the new government to be “empathetic and kind”. We’re all familiar with the “be kind” mantra, but I question its ability to achieve… well, anything. Ardern asked landlords to chill with raising their rent when the kind thing to Read more
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is refusing to take responsibility for the country’s damning social statistics; in particular child poverty. Amid the growing need for food banks and the accusation that Ardern, has done nothing to address the issue of child poverty, the Prime Minister told One News that she needs more than one term to Read more
Two New Zealand rich listers are among the first signatories on a ‘Millionaires for Humanity’ letter urging governments across the world to raise the tax for the wealthy amidst the COVID-19 crisis. The Warehouse Group founder Sir Stephen Tindall and Hire Things founder Peter Torr Smith are two of 174 millionaires to have signed the Read more
Anyone who tuned into the broadcast version a Two Cents Worth podcast last week may be forgiven for thinking they had tuned in to a church service. It began with a recitation of the first part of the Our Father. But Two Cents worth is advertised as being “Stories that make sense of business and Read more