inequality Archive

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  A nation divided? - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  The Herald has launched a six part series highlighting inequality and poverty in New Zealand, showing why we need action on the root causes, not the consequences. read more
  February 7, 2012 1:37 pm - 38 Comments
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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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  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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  Inequality solutions there, if we’re willing - by Holly Walker

  
  
  
  The OECD has confirmed what we already suspected with its ground-breaking report on inequality – Divided We Fall. The gap between rich and poor has grown exponentially since the 1980s in most developed countries – but none more so than in New Zealand. read more
  December 8, 2011 10:41 am - 78 Comments
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  Citizen engagement at Occupy Auckland - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  I got a buzz out of visiting the Occupy Auckland camp again this sunny afternoon. Seventy tents have mushroomed on the grass in Aotea Square  right next to the Town Hall. Hopefully the Auckland Council will continue to tolerate the camp as a venue for citizen engagement with politics. It’s not just the ‘occupiers’ discussing [...] read more
  October 25, 2011 4:43 pm - 17 Comments
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  British riots: addressing the “why” - by Keith Locke

  
  
  
  David Cameron’s answer to the British riots seems to be better policing. No doubt there could be improvements, but they shouldn’t be measures that hurt ordinary citizens, like the PM’s suggestion that there could be state controls on social networking. If we really want to prevent such destructive rioting we have to address the “why” [...] read more
  August 12, 2011 4:31 pm - 30 Comments
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  Stronger collective bargaining will create a more stable economy - by Russel Norman

  
  
  
  The IMF released a study late last year that found that the global financial crisis was, in part, driven by growing inequality. In brief, they found that the American middle classes went into great levels of debt to keep up with the rapidly increasing consumption habits of the wealthiest 5% of American society. The IMF [...] read more
  June 12, 2011 7:13 pm - 20 Comments
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  Parting gift from Treasury head a game changer - by Kennedy Graham

  
  
  
  The outgoing head of Treasury, John Whitehead, has left New Zealand with one of the best parting gifts ever — the groundwork for an alternative set of measures to define ‘progress’. This is one of the best news stories in my living memory. Why? Simply put, the way we define and measure progress goes to [...] read more
  May 26, 2011 1:24 pm - 8 Comments
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  On tour with welfare - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  Since March, I have been travelling to different communities to discuss issues of welfare justice in light of the Welfare Working Group‘s final report which suggests major reforms to our welfare system. So far I have met with people in Rotorua, Whangarei, Waihi and Turanga (Gisborne). Many of the people attending the meetings are community [...] read more
  May 16, 2011 4:19 pm - 13 Comments
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  For my Father - by frog

  
  
  
  Metiria just delivered a powerful and tear jerking speech about her father and her journey into politics. Her personal story illustrates the need to build a fairer society in New Zealand for our children and grandchildren. Here are some of the highlights I used the training incentive allowance to help with study costs, I shared [...] read more
  February 8, 2011 4:03 pm - 13 Comments
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  Minimum wage rise not enough - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  The Government has announced that the minimum wage will go up by 25c an hour, to $13 an hour, on 1 April. This is not enough. A sole parent working 40 hours a week on $13 an hour will earn just $520 per week before tax – not much to pay rent, feed kids, and [...] read more
  February 7, 2011 6:12 pm - 288 Comments
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  12 Days of Christmas wraps up - by frog

  
  
  
  Today is Day 12 of our mini ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ campaign. Each day, Metiria and Catherine have highlighted issues relating to inequality and child wellbeing, and presented Green solutions to those issues. Check it out day by day: Day 1 – Introduction Day 2 – Child poverty Day 3 – Disability Day 4 – [...] read more
  December 21, 2010 12:13 pm - 10 Comments
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  And a partridge in a pear tree - by Catherine Delahunty

  
  
  
  It’s day three of our ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ campaign today. This isn’t an official part of the campaign, but for your entertainment I’ve penned a wee ditty thanking John Key’s Government for all the lovely presents they got us this year. read more
  December 8, 2010 3:42 pm - 10 Comments
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  What are you wishing for our kids this Christmas? - by frog

  
  
  
  It’s Day Two of our ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ campaign to guarantee our kids the essentials this Christmas. What are you wishing for our kids this Christmas? read more
  December 7, 2010 11:39 am - 17 Comments
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  What we’re wishing for this Christmas - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  Today, we’re launching a ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ campaign urging New Zealanders to guarantee the essentials for every kiwi kid this Christmas. read more
  December 6, 2010 1:55 pm - 17 Comments
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  August 13 2011: Nice day for a ***** ******* - by frog

  
  
  
  August 13 is apparently the only day Her Britannic Majesty has free next year. So I suppose that is the date. It’s a pity this will be such a distraction from the real issues half a world away here in Aotearoa / New Zealand, where we desperately need to address climate change, peak oil, social [...] read more
  November 18, 2010 7:37 pm - 23 Comments
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  Inequality in Aotearoa: imprisonment - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  We are debating the Future Focus bill in Parliament as I write. We know that last time there was work testing for sole parents there were serious concerns about child welfare. The bill denigrates the value of education for sole parents and their children. The bill is punitive, discriminatory and will massively increase poverty, increasing [...] read more
  August 17, 2010 5:50 pm - 75 Comments
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  Inequality in Aotearoa: life expectancy again - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  There was an interesting report on Friday about the links between life expectancy, inequality, and smoking which revealed some pretty scary findings: the rich are living longer, the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor is growing, and so is the gap in life expectancy between Maori and non-Maori. Radio New Zealand’s report noted [...] read more
  August 14, 2010 9:06 pm - 87 Comments
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  Government dodges on disease of poverty - by Kevin Hague

  
  
  
  Sometimes the House is frustrating. I succeeded in my bid for a question today, but when we have two primary questions in a day we don’t get any more supplementary questions added to us. My boss had question 2 and mine was 11 and, since the Gallery journalists start drifting off after about 5 questions, [...] read more
  July 29, 2010 9:40 am - 50 Comments
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  Inequality in Aotearoa: inequality and social mobility - by Metiria Turei

  
  
  
  You can’t move from rags to riches when there’s a yawning gap between rich and poor. Much of the post-Budget debate has been focused on whether John Key and Bill English’s prescription for the country’s finances will increase or decrease the gap between rich and poor. Despite assuring us that he cares about inequality, Mr [...] read more
  June 2, 2010 5:09 pm - 91 Comments