Health & Wellbeing Archive

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  Getting my frock on - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  I’ve decided to set my sights for Bike Wise month high in 2012 and take on that doyen of the cycling world, Hutt South MP Trevor Mallard in a head to head challenge. read more
  January 26, 2012 4:56 pm - 1 Comment
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  Govt asking the wrong questions on child abuse - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  The Green Paper for Vulnerable Children should be focused on how to address the root causes of child abuse and neglect – poverty and inequality. read more
  January 26, 2012 11:29 am - 60 Comments
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  Thinking of Canterbury - by frog

  
  
  
  Just when we were looking forward to the festive season, Christchurch and the adjacent Canterbury region has been hit by a further series of devastating earthquakes today, and aftershocks are expected. My thoughts, and those of the Green MPs, are with the people of Canterbury this evening. Green Co-Leader Russel Norman issued this media release [...] read more
  December 23, 2011 8:10 pm - 2 Comments
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  The Christmas story: Russel Norman’s Address in Reply speech - by frog

  
  
  
  “These are the values that help to lay down the essential nature of what it means to be human and guide us to live a ‘good’ life – good to ourselves, good to one another, and good to the world in which we make our livelihoods.” – Russel Norman. Address in Reply speeches are long, [...] read more
  December 21, 2011 9:48 pm - 8 Comments
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  Toxic Legacies Need Serious Leadership - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The arsenic issues effecting Moanataiari, a small subdivision in my home town of Thames, are part of the very challenging reality of our not so “clean green” country. That is why I challenged the Minister for the Environment to establish a national register of contaminated sites. This led to the work we are doing on [...] read more
  November 25, 2011 3:23 pm - 1 Comment
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  High time to eliminate violence against women - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Amnesty International begin its sixteen days of activism against gender-based violence, with events happening all over the country. This year there’s a focus on calling on the Solomon Islands to enact laws to protect women from violence, and working to defend Norma Cruz, [...] read more
  November 25, 2011 10:38 am - 5 Comments
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  Nasty surprise in Disability Commissioner bill? - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  The Government has introduced legislation to establish the permanent position of Disability Commissioner at the Human Rights Commission – or has it? read more
  October 25, 2011 10:15 am - 1 Comment
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  It’s official: Bicycling can save your life - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  The highly esteemed British Medical Journal has found, after an extensive study, that cycling literally saves lives. The research looked at the differences in health benefits of using a bicycle sharing scheme run in Barcelona compared with travel by a car in an urban environment. The results were clear: public bicycle sharing schemes can improve [...] read more
  October 20, 2011 10:02 am - 4 Comments
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  Mental Health Awareness Week - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  This week is Mental Health Awareness week. The culture around mental health in New Zealand has come leaps and bounds from where it was even five years ago. I congratulate everyone who has helped bring about this culture change and raise awareness about mental health issues, and I thank them for doing so. However, this [...] read more
  October 12, 2011 1:44 pm - 6 Comments
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  A precautionary tale - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Following is an extract from Hansard, recording an exchange I had with energy Minister Hekia Parata back in April.  The question was asked at a time when iwi, hapu, environmental groups and others were trying to persuade the government that issuing permits for deep water drilling is a bad idea. David Clendon: What is the [...] read more
  October 10, 2011 9:52 am - 9 Comments
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  Cycling for Habitat - by David Clendon

  
  
  
  Last Saturday I went to Botany for what I thought would be a ‘routine’ event, speaking to members of the public and saying some nice things about Habitat for Humanity.  I’m always happy to support this group, who do great work helping people into decent affordable homes. They managed to build about 50 homes for [...] read more
  October 5, 2011 4:45 pm - No Comments
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  Fair Pay for “Sleepover” work - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  In the very last week of this Parliamentary term a Bill will be passed that actually makes total sense. The so called “Sleepover Bill” implements a Court of Appeal decision that night shift workers working with people who live in supervised residential homes will eventually get fairer pay. The issue of fair pay at night [...] read more
  October 2, 2011 11:24 am - 1 Comment
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  Sue and Keith’s valedictory speeches - by frog

  
  
  
  Sue Kedgley and Keith Locke — two of the original seven Green MPs who came into Parliament in 1999 — are standing down from Parliament at this election. The House grants outgoing MPs a chance to reflect on their time in Parliament with a valedictory speech. You can watch Sue and Keith reflect on their [...] read more
  September 29, 2011 2:20 pm - 6 Comments
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  Blueprint for safer queer youth - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  Last week I had the chance to participate in several of the events in the Hamilton Pride Festival for queer and transgendered people in the Waikato. I spent my secondary school years at Hamilton Boys High School, so I really valued the opportunity to launch there a landmark new report by Murray Riches entitled “How [...] read more
  September 29, 2011 8:13 am - 1 Comment
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  Food Bill update from Sue Kedgley - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  So many people have contacted us with their concerns about the Food Bill that I requested a further meeting with officials to discuss these concerns read more
  September 13, 2011 1:13 pm - 56 Comments
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  Where are you now, Mr. Key? - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  I have spent a bit of time in  Courthouses. They are typically depressing places, cold, hard, unwelcoming; the people angry, fearful, resigned. The Greymouth Courthouse is a new one. The waiting room is well lit. There are paintings on the walls, carpet on the floor. Yet those same feelings are almost palpable, along with a [...] read more
  September 9, 2011 12:37 pm - 19 Comments
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  Pike Inquiry reveals regulation shambles - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  Thanks to my awesome Caucus colleagues I have been given leave from Parliament this week to attend the first week in this second phase of the Pike River Royal Commission of Inquiry. The Green Party was one of the voices calling for an inquiry with wide terms of reference, that families and mine workers could [...] read more
  September 8, 2011 7:58 pm - 13 Comments
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  Bullying in schools - by Gareth Hughes

  
  
  
  Bullying in schools has been all over the media over the last few days following the publishing of the Ombudsmen’s report in to events at Hutt Valley High School in Lower Hutt during 2007. What happened at Hutt Valley High is a tragedy and our hearts go out to the people and the families involved. [...] read more
  September 8, 2011 5:47 pm - 9 Comments
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  NZ’ers want proper food labelling - by Sue Kedgley

  
  
  
  Survey results released today showing that nearly two thirds of New Zealanders can’t understand food labels and want better food labelling come as no surprise. Our food labels are pathetic and extremely poor by international standards. They are full of information we don’t need, but don’t contain information we do need –such as where food [...] read more
  September 1, 2011 10:42 am - 6 Comments
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  Riding the first of the on-road Cycle Trails - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  This weekend, I got to ride big parts of the 180km route from Taumarunui to New Plymouth. The ride was a celebration of the opening of the first on-road component of Nga Haerenga, the New Zealand Cycle Trail. The weekend had a bit of everything: gorgeous scenery, local hospitality, wide-eyed children, even local political drama. [...] read more
  August 24, 2011 10:50 am - 11 Comments