Search Results for “our far south” | Page 44

Coleman vs Health Experts – Who is Right and Who is Wrong on the Sugar Tax?

Jess Berentson-ShawApril 6, 2016Health

We all know the story of the Emperor who has no clothes. Due to a nasty bout of self-importance and misinformation fed to him by those with a clear agenda, His Royal Greatness steps out in public totally starker’s to … Read More

The State is a Bad Parent. Literally.

Jess Berentson-ShawAugust 31, 2015Tax and Welfare

Last week the Children’s Commissioner Dr Russell Wills made the rather startling statement that “it is doubtful children are better off in state care”. In the first report investigating the service Child Youth and Family (CYFs) provides to our … Read More

The Unitary Plan Improves Choice

Geoff SimmonsSeptember 29, 2016Property

The inevitable has happened; the NIMBYs (not in my backyarders) opposing the Unitary Plan have turned to legal redress to prevent change. The likes of the Character Coalition claim that the Unitary Plan process “trampled on people’s rights”, but this … Read More

It is time for the public’s views to prevail over fresh water

Gareth MorganSeptember 19, 2013Environment

Given New Zealand is a democracy, what the public thinks about the state of New Zealand’s rivers and streams should matter a great deal. In fact, it should be the only thing that counts. However from the policies that are … Read More

Why forcing people back to work doesn’t always help the kids

Jess Berentson-ShawJanuary 17, 2016Tax and Welfare

One response to our series on child poverty last week was that instead of giving the poor money we should force them (particularly solo Mums) to work. Commenters pointed to the tough US welfare reforms in the 1990s as an … Read More

Five reality checks on Maori fresh water rights

Susan GuthrieMay 16, 2016Treaty

Maori rights to fresh water deserve a better quality of debate than we’ve seen recently. The debate is actually about three things: acknowledging and implementing Maori rights to fresh water; allocating the economic benefits of water; and the New Zealand … Read More

5 Steps to Developing Evidenced-Based Immigration Policy

Jess Berentson-ShawApril 27, 2017Uncategorized

In the clear absence of reasoned discussion about New Zealand’s immigration policy of late, racism has reared its ugly head (though it is debatable whether it ever went away). Triggering the basest nature of humanity, fear, or ignorance never makes … Read More

Politicians need to face up to reality and discuss the future of NZ Super

Geoff SimmonsOctober 25, 2016Tax and Welfare

Over the weekend the Retirement Commissioner foreshadowed the launch of a new study. The findings are that despite its success, NZ Super is not sustainable in the long term unless we make some changes to it. This sparked the usual … Read More

Gareth’s Five Point Affordable Housing Plan for New Zealand

Gareth MorganNovember 4, 2012Economics, Tax and Welfare

You don’t need a fancy Commission, costing over $4 million a year, to tell you what to do about house prices and worsening housing affordability, especially Auckland housing affordability. It’s blindingly obvious. There are four significant forces behind the housing … Read More

Treaty justice triumph of commonsense

Gareth MorganJanuary 6, 2015Politics

Much has been achieved since the renaissance of the Treaty of Waitangi began in 1975. That should be celebrated. The Treaty – as represented by the original versions of 1840 and all the efforts to modernise its meaning since – … Read More

The cat debate is over. What happens next?

Gareth MorganApril 21, 2015Environment

Two years after we first put the cat amongst the pigeons with the Cats to Go campaign, the NZ Vets Association (NZVA) yesterday finally released their definitive, evidence-based position on the issue. The evidence in the report should finally settle … Read More

So long, be on your polluting way

Gareth MorganJuly 21, 2014Environment

Conor English’s valedictory article in the Dominion Post the other week provides ample evidence for why we won’t be sad to see the back of the former Federated Farmers CEO. His consistent advocacy for dirty economic growth has not only unfairly … Read More

The Confusion of “Free” Trade

Gareth MorganMarch 21, 2001Economics

BY GARETH MORGAN The success of Fisher and Paykel getting punitive tariffs imposed on whiteware imports from Korea highlights the arbitrariness of so-called "free" trade. All power to F&P for having government take retaliatory action against the dumped goods, no … Read More

Children’s Mental Wellbeing is About Income, Wealth and Deprivation

Jess Berentson-ShawMay 18, 2017Uncategorized

Today the Child Poverty Action Group and The New Zealand Psychological Society has released its new report (Child Poverty and mental health: A literature review ) into the connection between children’s mental health and being poor. It adds to the … Read More

10 Ways The Media Can Improve Their Reporting On Struggling Families

Jess Berentson-ShawJuly 1, 2016Tax and Welfare

Yesterday’s coverage of a Porirua family that can only afford biscuits was a lovely well-meaning interview; with a family who work extraordinarily hard but struggle to cover their costs. It was sad and depressing to hear. However, around half of … Read More

Why does the Green Party oppose taxpayer savings?

Gareth MorganFebruary 2, 2015Property, Tax and Welfare

Some, including the Green Party, have questioned the wisdom of the Government’s proposed sale of state houses. In this blog we will look at the detail on how this proposal has worked overseas, and could work here. The question them … Read More

How much poo would you feel safe to swim in?

Paul YoungMay 2, 2017Environment

That might strike you as a strange question, but it’s a very real one at the heart of the debate on the Government’s proposed targets for swimmable rivers and lakes in its Clean Water 2017 package. The proposal has generated … Read More

Resource Management Act Reform – death by a thousand cuts

Geoff SimmonsMarch 6, 2016Environment

The first months of 2016 have seen a deluge of environmental proposals from the Government, some good some bad. But the Resource Management Act (RMA) is the granddaddy of all environmental legislation. In 2013 National and ACT tried to kill … Read More

Six Arguments Against Assisted Dying And Why They are Wrong

Jess Berentson-ShawJanuary 26, 2016Health

Today terminal cancer patient Helen Kelly has lent her weight to Lecretia Seales’ case – calling for people to be allowed the option of assisted dying. Contrast this with Stuff’s article yesterday, which told the story of Jayne Malcolm who … Read More