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What’s in a name?

Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency chairwoman Merepeka Raukawa-Tait has hit back at George Ngatai who claimed legal action against his Auckland clinic that operates under the banner of Whānau Ora Community Clinic had been withdrawn. On Wednesday, Ngatai and his wife Raewyn Bhana - directors of the Whānau Ora Community Clinic - issued a statement advising the commissioning agency had dropped its legal action against his clinic over its name. “The Whānau Ora Community Clinic is delighted that T...

Chance meeting of public figures

The opening of an art and photographic exhibition on Wednesday provided a backdrop for a meeting which could have doubled as a subject of one of the pieces on display - pieces which are now up for auction. It provided a chance for new Hawke’s Bay Regional Council chairwoman Hinewai Ormsby to introduce herself to race relations conciliator Meng Foon – she as chairwoman of the Board of local iwi Ngati Pārau, and he as a last-minute replacement for artist and activist Tame Iti, who was to have...

National Party Christopher Luxon

National leader Christopher Luxon remains unapologetic for calling on parents to take more responsibility to get their children to school. He was questioned at Parliament about his earlier response to attendance figures, which found just 40 percent of children went to school regularly in term two this year.Luxon said the pandemic was no excuse and was open to the idea of legislation, similar to the United Kingdom, where parents could face fines if they let children skip school in term time....

'Kick in the face':

Middle-income earners say the cost of living crisis is worsening as they struggle to keep on top of basic costs.Kiwis Krystine Nation from Foxton and Steve Christodoulou from Auckland appeared on AM back in March when Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern declined to call the cost of living spike a crisis. Appearing on AM on Wednesday, the pair both agreed the cost of living crisis has gotten even worse in the last eight months."It's hard to keep on top of things and I am a middle New Zealande...

The stoush in Te Urewera

The decision by Tūhoe's leadership to knock down and burn many of the old Department of Conservation huts used by hunters and trampers in Te Urewera has been challenged and blocked by iwi members. The leadership wants to erect new purpose-built huts, but opponents say the wider value of the huts is being overlooked.Deep in Te Urewera sit 19 huts tagged for demolition. They are to be replaced with buildings designed to represent a new era in the ancient forest. Twenty-nine ot...

Data shows despite Govt’s $1.9b mental health budget

There are the same number of total beds for acute mental health patients as there were in 2017, despite nearly $2 billion being allocated for the mental health sector, new data has revealed today. Currently, there are 608 beds available for acute mental health patients. Newshub reported tonight this number fluctuated briefly in 2021 reaching a peak of 619, but has since declined back to 608 - the 2017 level. In Budget 2019 the Government announced $1.9b for mental health, with $235 mil...

‘Culturally competent’:

A Hastings-based building company with a strong focus on supporting Māori is fast growing a reputation for repairing homes for those most in need. Couple Henare and Arana Waapu started Manzis Build in Auckland but shifted to Hawke’s Bay with their young family - and business - in February 2020. Despite the challenges of a pandemic, it has gone from strength to strength in the Bay and was the only company to be named as a finalist two years running at the 2021 and 2022 Hawke’s Bay Business A...

Eight $200k-a-year executives wanted at Te Pūkenga,

Te Pūkenga is advertising for eight new executive directors – who will each earn in excess of $200,000 a year – while also looking to slash its budget by $35 million and not ruling out redundancies. The crown entity that now runs the country’s polytechs is searching for two new managers for each of its four divisions, despite the specific regional boundaries still being undecided. It is already run by a chief executive, four deputy chief executives and a 12-member council that i...

East Coast communities concerned

Iwi and community leaders on the East Coast are deeply concerned about the loss of farming land to overseas forestry use.Vast areas of productive land are being converted into carbon farms, where trees are planted to soak up carbon from the atmosphere to help reach our emissions targets but there's concern the cost is too high for our rural communities. Huiarua and Matanui stations represent more than 6000 hectares of prime East Coast sheep and beef farmland. But the neighbouring stations are se...

Iwi file Treaty claim

Ngaati Wairere have filed a Treaty of Waitangi claim over a proposed housing project in Hamilton, saying they were never consulted despite strong historical ties to the site. The site is currently the Sonning car park, which is owned by Hamilton City Council and is being considered for development. But it is built on top of Opoia Paa whose rangatira, Poukawa, signed the Treaty of Waitangi. Ngaati Wairere historian Wiremu Puke said the iwi only found out about the lack of consultation after an Of...

NZ Made Day:

NZ Made Day has Māori business owners calling for Kiwis to “Buy Māori Made” first, as we approach a busy shopping season amid Covid disruptions. Founder of Go Māori and Buy Māori Made Michelle Paki says during this time, larger Māori businesses have had to face shortages with supply and demand. “Due to our mahi on Buy Māori Made, we saw a lot of demand increase during Covid. “Supply chain issues are slowly sorting themselves out,” she says.Link to video and article: NZ M...

GP practices on brink of collapse,

The clinical director, Dr Simon Vari, says on that particular muggy Auckland Friday, it's just a two and a half hour wait to be seen. "When they walk in the door, usually we tell people it's going to be about four hours," he said. ...

COP 27 ends with historic win

Rod Oram analyses the final, teeth-pulling outcome of the global climate summit in Egypt - a step forward but wide steps sideways as well The COP27 climate negotiations staggered to an historic agreement on finance for developing countries on Sunday morning. But failed abysmally to curb fossil fuels or greenhouse gas emissions.Intense political wrangling between nations made for a marathon closing plenary session that began on Sunday at 4am and concluded at 9.20am, after a third night running of...

'Absolutely unacceptable'

Newshub national correspondent Patrick Gower says it's "absolutely unacceptable" some Kiwis are living in emergency housing for more than a year. It comes after Newshub revealed new figures showing more than 1000 people have now stayed in motels longer than a year. The longest stay in emergency housing has now stretched over three years.Link to video and article: 'Absolutely unacceptable' Kiwis languishing in emergency housing for years - Gower (msn.com)...

Luxon calls wraparound services 'kumbaya', 'mush'

Party leader Christopher Luxon made the comments while addressing how to deal with the country's ram-raid problem. Earlier this week, he reintroduced National's military boot camp policy for misbehaving youths, switching the focus away from wraparound services."We can't just have kumbaya and a lot of mush and no action and no improved outcomes. We have to have consequences alongside it," Luxon said on Sunday. The Dairy and Business Association is on board with the idea. "I see the valu...

I'm a mom and a middle-school social worker.

I work with students going through a tough time, including some dealing with anxiety and depression.Parents often try to fix their kids' issues instead of listening to what's bothering them.Many of my students try to live up to the expectations their parents have of them.As a social worker for middle schoolers, I talk with many students who are struggling with anxiety and depression, who are feeling worthless, and who have self-harmed. It is a privilege to be entrusted with their ...

Hawke’s Bay dame

A new scholarship has been launched to encourage more Māori and Pasifika women to become music therapists. To mark Music Therapy Week, the new Masters award, which is worth $8000, is intended to assist women wanting to study a Masters of Music Therapy full-time. Musician, producer and Hawke’s Bay icon Dame Hinewehi Mohi DNZM said there’d been a serious lack of Māori and Pasifika music therapists for a long time. Due to workforce shortages, oversees therapists were engaged, but “we have s...

The Friday Poem:

I remember / the other girls / rode horses / did ballet / sports too / just Netball / for me / Nan wanted us to join a marching group / Nan wanted us to learn how to dance with a partner / rock’n’roll / pulled out / one hot pink / circle skirt / between four / fight / to fit / in / to it.  I turned 13 / I got my ear cartilage pierced / sterling silver elephant / she said / it was quite sweet / asked me / you’re not going to get your nose pierced are you?Link to poem and article: ...

Group fitness designed to strengthen

A group fitness kaupapa called Tamatū and designed for tāne is aiming to help them reach their fitness goals. Benjamin Tawhara (Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu, Te Rarawa) endured losing a friend to suicide last year. He said the loss of his friend wasn’t the only motivation to start Tamatū, but it was one of the kickstarting factors that got him into action. Tawhara said the goal was to improve his life for himself and for his family, his community and for the people he associated with.Link to video...

Harry Potter and The Alchemist

Keen readers can now listen to popular books Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone and The Alchemist in te reo Māori audiobooks. The Kotahi Rau Pukapuka Trust was started in 2019 with the goal of producing 100 great books in te reo Māori and the two new books are a part of meeting that goal. Narrator Pānia Papa, who is also the chief executive of Kotahi Rau Pukapuka, said releasing these stories in te reo was essential because the rhythm and nuances of the spoken word were effectively co...

More nursing students share

More nursing students have come forward with concerning stories about their degrees and clinical placements. Some described driving long distances to unpaid hospital placements, and having to cover the cost of their petrol, parking, uniforms, and food. Health Minister Andrew Little told Checkpoint last week he would consider payment for third-year nursing students.  But some nursing lecturers said the number of students graduating their degrees and entering the stretched workforce would not...

Summer of discontent looms

OPINION: On paper, the grand Auckland institution seems in rude health, boasting a $133 million surplus last year. In the last 10 years it spent $1.5 billion on property development. The boss earns some $280,000​ more than the prime minister – an eye-watering $755,000​. Welcome to the University of Auckland, our largest research organisation, home to more than 13,000 staff and postgraduate students who generate “around $230m in annual research revenue”​, according...

New Zealand health services

The number of people in New Zealand living with dementia is growing but the services to care for those people aren't.   The sector estimates that around 30,000 people are already missing out on essential help. "I realise that at some point, I'll be in a two-room retirement thing, but I hope it doesn't happen for quite some time," Garrick said. Until then, his wife Adrienne Henderson is his primary care, except for one respite day each week, funded by the Ministry of Health. L...

Māori Health Authority cash injection

The Māori Health Authority has committed more than $71.6 million to what it says is its largest investment in improving Māori health outcomes yet. An eyewatering $29.3m will go toward maternity and early childhood health, those with cancer, chronic health conditions or suffering from mental distress under the organisation’s interim Health Plan (Te Pae Tata), which aims to tackle the most quickly reversible poor health outcomes. Some $13m will go to Māori primary and community providers to a...

Social worker falsified forms for food parcels meant for hungry families,

A social worker who used other people’s names to sign up for food parcels and supermarket vouchers meant for struggling families has been censured for her conduct and ordered to pay $20,000. Jacqui Wastney was working for VisionWest in Christchurch at the time, which co-ordinated food parcels from supplier 0800 Hungry to give to people in need. Over the course of a year Wastney signed people up for the service but they never actually received their boxes. Prosecuting lawyers alleged she was ke...