“The period over the next few years scares the hell out of me, quite frankly,” says social services expert Professor Michael O’Brien. Poor outcomes predicted “We’ve seen a series of decisions taken around benefit levels, around Working for Families, and if anything that will become more difficult and tighter and meaner, and more poverty-creating. “In Read more
International Women’s Day on March 8 draws attention to the lives of women. My research explores, in the inner lives of Pacific women, how their relationship with God can affect their wellbeing, and how their image of God relates to their relationship with their parents. How we name, visualise and describe God is most often Read more
If women are free to choose whether to have an abortion, taxpayers should be free to choose if they contribute taxes to fund their choice. In a recent statement, the pro-life advocacy group Right to Life argues that while taxpayers have a moral obligation to contribute their taxes, they should not be obligated to fund Read more
The Salvation Army is concerned that the Government’s Health Response Bill, designed to empower police to deal with breaches of Covid-19 alert level 2 rules, does not consider spiritual wellbeing alongside physical wellbeing. The Army considers Sunday church services an ‘essential service’, as they offer spiritual health; a vital component of wellbeing. They say that Read more
Economist Brian Easton says New Zealand’s sexy image on the global business stage does not necessarily translate to a better life for those on low incomes, particularly women and children. Easton, who’s recently published a user’s guide to economic inequality, says inequality is difficult to measure. One indicator might show it going up while another Read more