Health & Wellbeing Archive

• 

  You can’t have your human rights because they cost too much

  
  
  
  The Government says it’s appealing against a ruling of the Human Rights Review Tribunal because the country cannot afford to pay people to look after their own severely disabled family members. What’s next, I wonder? Repeal the Equal Pay Act so employers can pay their women workers less and claim it is justified discrimination on the grounds that it would improve productivity? read more
  January 26, 2010 11:26 am - 69 Comments
• 

  A lag for a stoner, a gong for an über-dealer

  
  
  
  Isn’t it time our drugs policy focused on harm minimisation? Instead, we imprison Lionel Paul Joseph Taumata for possessing one drug for his own personal use, while rewarding Arthur Douglas Myers for selling vast quantities of another drug, which is arguably more harmful, with one of New Zealand’s highest honours. read more
  January 10, 2010 11:01 am - 22 Comments
• 

  NZ loses a disability leader

  
  
  
  I feel a personal sense of loss after hearing about the death of leading disability activist and tertiary educator Todd Fernie. read more
  December 16, 2009 11:30 am - 2 Comments
• 

  ACC changes hurt sexual violence victims

  
  
  
  The biker lobby has managed to get considerable public attention and support for motorcyclists’ grievances over ACC levies, but there is a group of more vulnerable people who cannot march in their thousands on Parliament grounds to defend their ACC access. Many of them cannot email Members of Parliament because it exposes them as possibly [...] read more
  December 16, 2009 11:01 am - 4 Comments
• 

  Green MP praises McDonalds – just the once!

  
  
  
  McDonalds is the first fast food retailer – in fact the first large commercial business in New Zealand – to commit to using free range eggs in 19 of its restaurants in New Zealand. read more
  December 1, 2009 10:07 am - 9 Comments
• 

  Let’s take child social health seriously

  
  
  
  An important report was launched today about child health in Aotearoa New Zealand. The first ever Children’s Social Health monitor was launched today at the conference of the New Zealand Paediatric Society. This report is the baseline from which children’s social health will be measured in future, using a range of both economic and health [...] read more
  November 25, 2009 3:42 pm - 16 Comments
• 

  A call to men to support White Ribbon Day

  
  
  
  Today is White Ribbon Day, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. White Ribbon Day started as a men’s movement in Canada, and it remains a great opportunity for men all over the world to take a stand against violence towards women and say “it’s not ok”. I’d like to take my co-leader’s hat [...] read more
  November 25, 2009 8:45 am - 28 Comments
• 

  Who’s next? Bikers say no to ACC levy increases and privatisation

  
  
  
  Thousands of bikers descended on Parliament today to protest levy the Government’s hike in motorcyclist levies, and their attack on ACC.   New Green MP and lifetime biker David Clendon and new Green Party ACC Spokesperson Kevin Hague headed down to support the protest. David gave a great speech where he explained that the Greens have supported the [...] read more
  November 17, 2009 3:08 pm - 19 Comments
• 

  ACC cuts put home care workers below minimum wage

  
  
  
  It is not just the caregivers who will suffer from this policy. Injured people who live in isolated areas are likely to find it increasingly difficult to find any caregiver prepared to travel to their home to provide the home help or attendant care they need. But do ACC care? Seems not. read more
  November 10, 2009 3:13 pm - 9 Comments
• 

  Access to Dental Care a Human Right

  
  
  
  I am horrified that the Ministry of Health’s mobile dental clinics won’t be wheelchair accessible.  If the vision is to take health out to the people then access is a fundamental issue.  The excuse that a ramp would cost $70,000 must be examined.  What has happened to the DIY approach to practical problems like building a [...] read more
  November 6, 2009 3:56 pm - 107 Comments