Category Archives: New Zealand

The cost of living payment mistake leaving overseas New Zealanders confused, Kiwi singer opens up on dramatic exit and why Prince Charles is facing questions over charity donations in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

By RNZ

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the cost of trying to recover the $350 cost of living payment from New Zealanders living overseas would outstrip the benefits.

The Government is backing the way the payment is being rolled out despite knowing that some ineligible people will receive it.

The first instalment - of $116 - will be paid today to New Zealand tax residents over the age of 18 who earned up to $70,000 in the last financial year and are not entitled to the winter energy payment.

An unknown number of New Zealanders living overseas have received letters from Inland Revenue (IRD) saying they qualify for the cost of living bonus, even though they are not New Zealand tax residents.

Ardern said the vast majority of those who would receive the payment were New Zealand taxpayers who were based in New Zealand.

"But we have also moved quickly and so there will be some who are captured by the system, who aren't part of the criteria that's been designed but who may well receive it."

The payment would be distributed by IRD using an automated system so it was not always possible to work out if people were living in New Zealand and the cost of doing so would outweigh any benefits, she said.

The alternative to having these individuals receive the payment would have been an application based process which would have taken too long and it may not have reached those who were most vulnerable, Ardern said.

"The alternative in creating a perfect system would be in creating a less timely payment and potentially those who need it most not being reached."

The payment was one of the measures the government was using to help New Zealanders deal with the cost of living increases in the aftermath of the Covid economic recovery, she said.

"Yes, we've moved quickly, but so has the economic situation."

The payment was still more limited and more targeted than a broad based tax cut, Ardern said.

A tax cut would also likely contribute to inflation but offering a targeted, time-limited payment would limit the possibility of that according to Treasury, she said.

Ardern could not say how many people who did not qualify for the allowance had received it but said that Inland Revenue (IRD) may have that number.

Ardern said she had asked IRD whether individuals who were overseas could be identified based on the interest they were paying on their student loans.

National Party deputy leader Nicola Willis said it was impossible to know the scale of the problem, but she had a sense it was bigger than just a few thousand dollars.

It was not just ex-pat New Zealanders but also former migrants, she said.

"We've been contacted by a man who left New Zealand in 2014, he's now living in India and he got a letter from the IRD advising him he'd be getting the payment."

National had also been contacted by French-working former visa holders and a man who left in 2019 but is now in the Philippines who had also received letters, she said.

"My sense is this is very widespread, it's a major muck-up, it's like the Government pressed 'send all' - it's certainly not targeted and for ministers to be dismissive of it is I think quite disrespectful," she said.

"What a slap in the face to hardworking Kiwi taxpayers who pay tax only for that to be given to people around the world who haven't been in New Zealand paying tax for many years in some cases."

Willis said the problems have occurred because it was a policy made on the fly and she had a lot of sympathy for IRD which is having to administer it.

"Both the Treasury and the IRD explicitly warned the Government against this approach, they advised them that this was not a good way to go, they said 'some people who are ineligible will end up getting it, it'll be very administratively complex, we don't want to do this' and yet the Government pressed play anyway and now we're seeing the results."

National would favour using tax cuts over a government handout since the only people who would get the money would have earned it in the first place, Willis said.

Original post:

Cost of living payment: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern admits some people overseas will receive it - New Zealand Herald

Sport

31 Jul, 2022 09:35 PM4 minutes to read

Lewis Clareburt wins second gold in 200m butterfly final. Video / Sky Sport

All you need to know from a successful day three of the Commonwealth Games for New Zealand as two swimmers and a track cyclist claimed gold.

Lewis Clareburt cemented his place as one of the supreme stars of this edition of the Commonwealth Games with a second gold medal in the pool, this time in the men's 200m butterfly.

A day after claiming gold in the men's 400m individual medley, Clareburt surprised the field by finishing fast to beat legendary South African swimmer Chad le Clos for his second gold.

Clareburt wasn't the only Kiwi swimmer to snare a surprise gold as Joshua Willmer, the youngest athlete in the swimming team at 17, won on the final stroke of the SB8 100m breaststroke.

Tupou Neiufi meanwhile won silver in the women's 100m Backstroke S8 final with world champion Alice Tai taking the gold.

Check out our full report from the pool here.

Corbin Strong, making his debut appearance in a Commonwealth Games, stunned an experienced field in the men's Scratch Race to capture New Zealand's sixth track cycling gold medal in Birmingham.

Strong, with a little help from teammates Campbell Stewart and George Jackson, perfectly executed an aggressive strategy that saw him vying with two other riders for the medals going into the race's final laps.

Positioned perfectly by Stewart and Jackson, Strong surged clear in the last half of the final lap to take out the biggest win on the world stage of his career.

New Zealand's other cyclists in action overnight failed to make the same impact as Strong with Rebecca Petch, Callum Saunders, Sam Webster, Sam Dakin, Michaela Drummond, Bryony Botha and Emily Shearman all missing out on medals in their respective events.

Check out our full report from the velodrome here.

It wasn't the playoff match either team wanted to be a part of, but the men's and women's rugby sevens teams still did New Zealand proud by safely securing bronze medals over their rivals.

The women's team's 19-12 victory over Canada was a defensive masterclass for 13 minutes, until their rivals staged a late point-scoring surge to make it seem close. However, the pressure previously exerted, which led to tries for Michaela Blyde and Kelly Brazier, was more than enough to nail down victory.

Meanwhile, the men never looked like stumbling against Australia as they racked up four tries - two each to Leroy Carter and Moses Leo - on their way to a 26-12 victory.

Both teams then looked on as Australia defeated Fiji in the women's gold medal match, and South Africa smashed Fiji in the men's.

The Black Sticks men remain unbeaten after securing a 4-1 victory over Pakistan. The side now sits at the top of its group after drawing with Scotland 5-5 early on Saturday.

New Zealand's women's 3x3 basketball team also remain unbeaten after destroying the British Virgin Islands 19-5 in their final pool match. The win earns them an automatic place in the semifinals. The men's team, meanwhile, won their first match of the Games, defeating Trinidad and Tobago 21-12 which leaves them set to play Canada in a quarter-final early tomorrow morning.

One blemish on the day for New Zealand's teams was a fourth place finish in the mixed relay triathlon, an event that held medal hopes for Hayden Wilde, Nicole van der Kaay, Tayler Reid and Andrea Hansen. In the end the team finished eight seconds behind third-placed Australia.

Squash superstars Joelle King and Paul Coll kept rolling in their events, both progressing to the quarter finals. While King cruised to an 11-3 11-5 11-5 win over Scotland's Georgia Adderley, Coll was made to work hard against world number 106 Emyr Evans, eventually winning 8-11 11-0 11-5 12-10 in four sets.

To view a full list of every result by every Kiwi athlete and team, check out our full schedule and results.

Medals today:Gold - Track Cycling - Men's 15km Scratch Race final - Corbin StrongGold - Swimming Men's 200m Butterfly final Lewis ClareburtGold - Swimming - Men's 100m Breaststroke SB8 final Joshua WillmerSilver - Swimming - Women's 100m Backstroke S8 final - Tupou NeiufiBronze Rugby sevens Black Ferns Sevens beat CanadaBronze Rugby sevens All Blacks Sevens beat Australia

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Commonwealth Games 2022: A golden day in the pool for New Zealand - day three wrap - New Zealand Herald

Here are some of the stories making the rugby headlines in Wales and further afield on Sunday July 31

New Zealand rugby boss Mark Robinson has dismissed criticism coming his way from Steve Hansen and David Moffett and insisted he will get the All Blacks back on track.

Robinson has previously kept his counsel whilst a full blown crisis burns down under, with Hansen saying the New Zealand Board should undertake a review into themselves and Moffett calling for chief executive Robinson to resign.

READ MORE: New Zealand in full-blown crisis as players hit back over 'hurtful' comments

The outcry forms the backdrop to under fire coach Ian Foster taking his team to South Africa for back-to-back Rugby Championship Tests with the world champion Springboks.

Asked about the barrage coming his way, Robinson first addressed the remarks made by Hansen, the former World Cup winning coach.

"He is someone I have known for a long time and I know he is passionate about the game and New Zealand," Robinson told broadcast outlet Newstalk ZB. "He has made a great contribution to it. I have certainly reached out to him and we will have a catch-up at some stage.

"He said some things that I wouldnt agree with and we will have that conversation. I know he is also incredibly protective of Ian and he is protecting his mate too and we understand that."

Of Moffett's scathing assessment of the way Robinson was running the game, the chief executive responded: "The organisation is on a really exciting and solid path at the moment. We are involved in some really exciting, constructive and positive stuff that can transform our game for the future.

Im really committed to that, Im really privileged to be in the role, I love the role and being part of what were building at New Zealand Rugby in a really strong team. I came into the role knowing that eventually there would be situations like this where people have strong views around things like that.

"You have to learn to accept that, dont you? Its no different than any of the key public leadership roles in New Zealand.

However, Robinson appeared to offer no guarantees on the future of Foster's role as coach when quizzed upon that delicate subject.

"Im not going to speculate on things like that. Were really focused and have spent time in the last 10 days primarily around focusing on our people internally, Robinson said.

New Zealand have lost four of their last five Tests, including three to Ireland, and desperately need to bounce back against the Springboks.

New Zealand front row legend Carl Hayman is adamant the team will bounce back from their current woes and become a major force again in time for next year's World Cup in France.

"History shows us that a lot can happen in a year. The favourite of a World Cup has not always been the winner, far from it. The reverse is also true, he told a French newspaper.

" In 2011, for example, France reached the final after a poor group stage and a defeat against Tonga. The final, the French should certainly have won it, if we are honest.

"This shows how quickly a dynamic can be reversed. Its not too late for New Zealand.

"It has been a very long time since we have experienced such periods of difficulty. There is frustration and the supporters are very vocal. I try to keep a little more perspective. I believe that professional sport is made of cycles. New Zealand have often been dominant, its true, and they really experienced an exceptional period after the failure of 2007.

This was the starting point of a great era. But the idols of the titles of 2011 and 2015 have retired. We have to rebuild. This is our current cycle. That takes time.

There is enormous pressure on Foster and the results put him in trouble, but I will give him time to finish this year, to defend his chances and his work during the Rugby Championship and then the autumn tour."

Wales Sevens will sit on and watch today as other teams battle it out for Commonwealth Games gold. The same applies to England and Scotland, who also crashed out of the main part of the tournament.

Richie Pugh's side were knocked out in the group stages after defeats to Canada and Fiji, a win over Zambia being their solitary triumph.

Wales will battle England for ninth position in the best placings part of the competition for defeated countries. England also failed to reach the last-eight after a 20-0 defeat to New Zealand, but the damage was largely done when they lost 34-0 to Samoa in their opener.

The quarter-final line-up saw New Zealand thrash Kenya, Fiji beat Scotland, South Africa thump Canada 33-0 and Australia beat Samoa.

The medal positions will be decided today and the semi-final line-up sees Fiji face New Zealand and South Africa play Australia.

The women's final will be contested between Fiji and Australia.

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Nigel Owens slams rugby's new red card trial

Wales rugby star shares support for his fiance as she competes at Commonwealth

Continued here:

Sunday rugby news as New Zealand boss hits back after scathing Hansen and Moffett criticism and Wales blow - Wales Online

The cost of living payment mistake leaving overseas New Zealanders confused, Kiwi singer opens up on dramatic exit and why Prince Charles is facing questions over charity donations in the latest New Zealand Herald headlines. Video / NZ Herald

Russia has published a list of 32 New Zealanders banned from entering the country, including city mayors, officials, academics, Defence Force brass, and journalists accused of forming a "Russophobic agenda".

The Russian Foreign Ministry says the move is a response to New Zealand government sanctions "which apply to an increasing number of Russian citizens".

On the list are several mayors, including Auckland Mayor Phil Goff, Christchurch counterpart, Mayor Lianne Dalziel, Wellington's Andy Foster, Nelson Mayor Rachel Reese, and Dunedin Mayor Aaron Hawkins, along with journalists including Herald columnist and political commentator Matthew Hooton.

"[It] looks like an invitation to a great long lunch," Hooton quipped this morning.

Hawkins also took a light-hearted approach, writing on Twitter this morning: "I regret to inform you that I appear to have been banned from Russia. There goes that Trans-Siberian Railway fantasy".

Dalziel regards the ban as a "badge of honour", saying she has no regrets about speaking out over the Russian invasion of Ukraine and renewed calls for an end to the bloody war.

Auckland councillor Chris Darby was surprised to make the cut, and although he kicked off lighting the Auckland Harbour Bridge in blue and yellow and instigated a letter to the Mayor of Kyiv Vitali Klitschko, he said: "It's not like I'm a constant campaigner, other than a few Tweets and Facebook posts. I'll wear it like a badge of honour in solidarity with the people of Ukraine."

Those on the list are "indefinitely" barred entry to the Russian Federation.

The blacklist statement, published on the Russian Foreign Ministry's social media channels, also warns it will continue working on updating the "blacklist".

"With the fact that official Wellington does not intend to abandon the anti-Russian course and continues to bear new restrictions, work on updating the 'blacklist' will continue," it says.

New Zealand has imposed a raft of sanctions against Russia in response to its invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, including compiling its own list of Russian nationals banned from entering the country.

In March, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta released a list of Russian government officials and others who were being banned from entering New Zealand.

A Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Mfat) spokeswoman responded this morning, saying that New Zealand, "in concert with the international community", has been applying tough sanctions on Russia "as a means to restrict the Putin regime's ability to continue waging war on Ukraine and harming civilians".

"We are unsurprised that Russia has added further New Zealanders to its travel ban list.

"It's disappointing to see Russia deepening its isolation from the international community rather than engaging with the clear message that it is being sent: to cease its senseless war of aggression in Ukraine and withdraw its troops."

John Anthony

Shane Arndell

Lianne Audrey Dalziel

Chris Darby

Andrew John Whitfield Foster

Phil Bruce Goff

Garin Golding

Kate Green

Aaron Garth Hawkins

Ian Hill

Stephen Hoadley

James Hollings

Mathew Hooton

Rose King

Rob Krushka

Matt Lawrey

Richard Maclean

Tracy Mulholland

Thomas Manch

Hugh McAslan

Ian Mower

Bridget Musker

Whena Owen

Shaun Sexton

Josie Pagani

Pete Rainey

Rachel Hadley Reese

Sharon Stewart

Pasanka Wickremasinghe

Matthew Weston

Mike Yardley

Nicola Young.

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Russia bans 32 New Zealand officials and journalists from entering the country - New Zealand Herald

Kate donned a wetsuit as she joined the British racing team on their F50 catamaran in a friendly Commonwealth Race alongside Olympian Sir Ben Ainslie. The race, which took place ahead of the official final events of the SailGP international sailing competition in Plymouth, saw Great Britain take on endurance swimmer and environmentalist Lewis Pugh as a guest racer alongside Peter Burling and Blair Tuke on the New Zealand F50. Kate's team sailed to an easy victory in front of thousands lining the Plymouth coast.

The duchess was visiting the SailGP event site in her role as the patron of the 1851 Trust, the official charity of the Great Britain SailGP Team.

She arrived to cheering crowds on Sunday lunchtime.

"She's a really good sailor in her own right, she has sailed with me on foiling boats as well and we're expecting a little bit of extra help," Sir Ben said.

The 1851 Trust helps youngsters aged 11-16 gain experience of careers in science, technology and engineering.

READ MORE:Prince Harry and Meghan will be forced to 'give up' royal titles

Before the race, Kate spoke to members of both teams who explained how the SailGP vessels work.

She appeared intrigued with the tour, although the time it took led to Sir Ben to joke: "Come on, we've got a race to do, mate."

Before the race, Kate met excited youngsters who told her how they were growing seagrass, and took part in activities educating young people about sustainability.

Carnegie Bedlow, 12, from St Helier in Jersey, said: "I was a little bit nervous but she did what I told her and she was very good.

The Euros final is expected to draw the biggest home TV audience on record for a women's football match, with a packed Wembley Stadium and millions more watching around the nation.

In an endearing 10-second video message with his daughter, William said: "We both want to wish the Lionesses the best of luck for tonight.

"You've done amazingly well in the competition and we are rooting for you all the way."

Charlotte, sat beside him, said: "Good luck, I hope you win. Bye".

See the article here:

Victory! Kate thrilled as she beats New Zealand rivals in Plymouth sailing race - VIDEO - Express

The privacy issues behind social media site TikTok present a threat to New Zealand people, businesses, and potentially the democratic process, a cybersecurity expert has warned.

Adam Boileau security expert from CyberCX, said while all social media platforms came with privacy risks, TikToks potential link to the Chinese Communist Party made it a particular concern for data experts.

At least Facebook is beholden to its host government in the USA and can be regulated and controlled. With TikTok we have no recourse against it because it is based in China. It can show users what ever it wants to and our Government can do nothing, Boileau said.

It is estimated TikTok has 1.4 million users in New Zealand. When users download the app they give it access to troves of information, including phone and location data, contacts and messages, internet browser search history and keystroke patterns.

READ MORE:* US judge blocks TikTok ban in second ruling against Trump's efforts to curb popular Chinese services* Oracle, ByteDance accept new treasury terms on TikTok* Donald Trump issues executive orders against China's TikTok, citing national security concerns

This data is stored by TikTok owner ByteDance. While ByteDance is a privately owned company, data stored in mainland China and held by Chinese companies can legally be accessed by the Chinese Government.

On Wednesday, US Federal Communications Commissioner Brendan Carr, called on Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores over concerns of China accessing user data.

Carr called the app an unacceptable national security risk.

Supplied

Adam Boileau, cybersecurity expert, says Tik Toks strong links to the Chinese Communist Party made it a particular concern for data experts.

He said the app gave the CCP unfettered access to sensitive US user data and called on Google to remove the app from its app store.

Boileau said he wanted the New Zealand Government take a similar stance against the app.

When we were rolling out our 5G mobile networks, the Government was very against using Chinese equipment particularly Huawei, because of concerns the Chinese Government could access our communications.

TikTok gives the Chinese Government similar access directly into peoples brains. Because it serves content that can guide and inflame political beliefs, it would be a great platform to influence a future election, he said.

He pointed to TikTok being used to silence opposition to the Chinese Governments treatment of Uyghur Muslims, as evidence the app was anything but apolitical.

If you have this amount of information about people, combined with the ability to get content in front of billions of eyeballs then you have a powerful tool to manipulate. TikTok is ripe to be used nefariously.

But marketing strategist Rachel Klaver said the TikTok algorithm was too beneficial to ignore even if it came with serious privacy concerns.

There are definitely two sides to it. Yes if the algorithm is so fantastic there probably is some insidious thing in there that isnt great, but it also has a tremendous capacity to get your brand in front of customers, Klaver said.

Klaver experienced this first-hand when she posted a video promoting her business and within 48 hours the video had over 50,000 views.

Getting that kind of outreach so quickly is almost impossible on any other platform, she said.

She acknowledged that privacy concerns about the app were valid, but said business owners would have to decide for themselves whether to engage with it.

View original post here:

TikTok a threat to New Zealand businesses, expert warns - Stuff

New Zealand's oldest woman Joan Edith Brennan has passed away at the age of 110. Photo / Supplied

A family are not only mourning the loss of a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother but also a rich link to times long past after New Zealand's oldest woman has died.

Aged 110 years and four months, having been born on March 10, 1912 in the United Kingdom, Joan Edith Brennan passed away peacefully yesterday after suffering from dementia.

Her son, Barry Brennan, said her secret to a long and full life was keeping healthy and eating organically.

"Incredibly, at the age of 107 she was still living independently in her little apartment and growing her own vegetables. She would regularly take the bus to the mall to do her shopping and treat herself to a coffee and muffin," said Brennan.

Brennan said she'll be remembered for her independence, her caring and giving nature, and her strong personality.

"She was a very individual person who did lead her own way," he said.

"Mum had got to the stage where she was not leading the sort of life she wanted, she was fiercely independent and never wanted to be in care."

Joan's parents lived through the Victorian era and her father, Henry William Lewis, was a sergeant in World War I.

The last time Joan saw her father was when she was just five-years-old.

"She had a vivid memory of him taking her and her elder sister to the pantomime," said Brennan.

Tragically, Sergeant Lewis died of his wounds on May 4, 1917 during the Battle of the Somme.

"Joan was probably one of the very last people in the world who could remember a soldier who was killed in World War I," said Brennan.

Eight years later Joan's mother, Edith Mary Lewis, emigrated with Joan and her sister to Australia and then to New Zealand after coming under immense hardship as a war widow.

In New Zealand, Joan trained as a nurse for Karitane hospitals, which were a set of six hospitals around the country set up by the Royal New Zealand Plunket Society to care for babies.

"[She] loved caring for children," said Brennan.

In 1934, Joan was on a voyage on her way back to the United Kingdom to be a nanny when she met the ship's radio operator, Thomas George Brennan.

The two of them were married in 1937 and moved back to New Zealand where they went on to serve the country during World War II as telegraphists taking watch from the Portland Island lighthouse in Hawkes Bay.

"Island life back then was a hard and lonely existence. After the war they moved to Auckland and settled in Campbells Bay where they lived in the same house for 36 years until they moved to Selwyn Village in 1990," said Brennan.

After the war, Joan spent most of her life working as a cook and even after she retired she'd often cook for their rotary club, said Brennan.

Thomas passed away in 1998 aged 89. And now, 24 years later, Joan has followed after him.

The two of them had three children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

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Former Karitane nurse and New Zealand's oldest woman dies aged 110 - New Zealand Herald

Monday, 1 August 2022, 9:18 amPress Release: Ryman Healthcare

Ryman Healthcare is supporting grass roots communitydance groups by offering three $5,000 grants to those groupswho encourage people of all ages and abilities to keepmoving through a love of dance.

As New Zealandslargest retirement village operator, Ryman has proudlysupported the Royal New Zealand Ballet since 2015. Each yearthe Ryman Healthcare ballet season captivates residents,team members and their wider communities as the company takethem along on their theatrical journey.

This year,Ryman is going one step further. To get back to where a loveof dance begins in church halls, school gymnasiums orthe local recreation centre.

Where families andcommunities come together, where they celebrate creativityand individuality, and where they encourage movement andestablish lifelong connections.

Ryman Healthcare NewZealand Chief Executive Cheyne Chalmers said the idea forLove to Dance came from the companys close collaborationwith the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and a desire to furtherextend the support given to the arts.

Everyonestarts in similar places. Usually, its local town hallsand community stalwarts who provide the springboard forgenerations of artists. We are really thrilled to celebratethe arts at all levels and to play a part in supportingaccessible arts across Aotearoa.

Dance schoolsprovide opportunities for thousands of people of all ages toget active and involved. As well as giving the performers achance to express themselves, theyre a wonderfulspectacle for all generations across thecountry.

Rymans Love to Dance grants are open todance groups of any kind to apply. Whether itspre-schoolers or seniors, Scottish dancing or salsa, kapahaka or Kathak, breakdance or ballet they want to hearfrom you.

Finalists will be decided by a panel ofjudges, including Ballet Mistress Clytie Campbell of theRoyal New Zealand Ballet as well as a Rymanresident.

A shortlist of nine finalists will go out topublic vote, rallying community support before the finalthree grant recipients are awarded.

How to enter: Ifyou think your dance group has what it takes to win a Loveto Dance grant go to: http://www.rymanhealthcare.co.nz/lovetodance

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Ryman Supports New Zealand's Love Of Dance With $15,000 | Scoop News - Scoop

Monday, 1 August 2022, 5:17 amPress Release: Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori

Te reo Mori became an official language in its owncountry 35-years-ago today and the battle for its survivalhas yet to be won says the Mori Language Commission. TheMori Language Act came into force on the 1 August1987.

The battle for te reo Mori has been foughtin communities across Aotearoa, from our smallest towns toour biggest cities. In 1987 some warned that making te reoan official language would divide New Zealanders but35-years later, te reo is something that unites us, saidProfessor Rawinia Higgins, Mori LanguageCommissioner.

From the 1 million people who joinedus for our Mori Language Moments, to the thousands singingour anthem in te reo at All Black tests and the hundredstaking part in total immersion kura reo every weekend: tereo is part of our national identity as New Zealanders andconnects us all to this place we call home.

ForMori New Zealanders, te reo is an integral part of ouridentity. It tells the story of our families and links usforever to our ancestors and to Aotearoa. The battle for itssurvival is part of the story of every Morifamily.

Today also marks the 35th birthday of theMori Language Commission, which opened its doors when theMori Language Act became law.

But the battle is not over:we need 1 million speakers of te reo by 2040 to safeguardour language for future generations. Those babies born todaywill be the first adult generation of speakers in 2040, thecountdown is on.

The commission is launching acampaign calling for New Zealanders to start capturing themany stories of the battle for te reo Mori, to ensure thatthe languages journey will be told and understood inyears to come.

We want to ensure that families andcommunities capture te reo stories that matter to them.Whether people want to share them publicly: is up to them.The main thing is that they are captured so that futuregenerations can understand why and how our people fought forthe survival of te reo Mori.

In the next monthwe will launch a timeline and website for people to sharetheir stories of our battle for te reo Mori: Keep an eyeout for it!

50-years-ago in 1972the Mori Language Petition, calling on thegovernment to protect te reo and teach it in schools, waspresented to parliament. That day, the 14th September becameMori Language Day and later Mori LanguageWeek. For the past two years at the moment the petitionwas presented, 12pm on the 14th September: more than 1million New Zealanders have stopped to celebrate theMori Language Moment.

TeTaura Whiri i te Reo Moriwebsite

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35 Years Since Te Reo Became An Official Language Of New Zealand | Scoop News - Scoop

ANALYSIS: By Paula Lorgelly, University of Auckland

Late last month, New Zealand Health Minister Andrew Little stated what most who work in health already know.

Healthcare is all about people the people being cared for and the people doing the caring.

Population growth, ageing and a pandemic mean there is no shortage of those needing care, but in New Zealand and globally, there is a chronic shortage of healthcare workers.

Little stopped short of calling it a crisis, but researchers and international agencies alike agree with a survey of New Zealand doctors that the health workforce is in crisis.

In 2016, the World Health Organisation (WHO) projected a global shortage of 18 million healthcare workers by 2030. That was before the covid-19 pandemic. Between 80,000 and 180,000 healthcare workers have died globally during the pandemics first 16 months, according to the WHOs conservative estimate.

Add to this the impact the pandemic has had on the mental health of frontline health staff, including reports of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and a healthcare workforce seven times more likely to have severe covid and now carrying the burden of long covid.

Its clear healthcare is no longer the attractive sector it once was.

A highly mobile workforce and a global shortageLike the cost-of-living crisis, the health workforce shortage is not unique to Aotearoa New Zealand.

This years budget included NZ$76 million for medical training and primary care specialists, but doctors who started training this year will not be specialists until 2034.

Meanwhile, Labours solution is to undertake an international recruitment drive. It is hailing New Zealand as one of the easiest places in the world for healthcare workers to come to. But are our newly opened borders attractive enough?

In my health economics lectures I often use an anecdote about the Indian doctor who gets a job in the UK (colonial ties and a multicultural society), the British doctor who moves to Canada (less administration and more family friendly hours), the Canadian doctor who moves to the United States (specialists have much higher earning potential), and the US doctor who undertakes missionary work in India.

This highlights two issues: the health workforce is highly mobile and employment isnt always about money. Aotearoa New Zealand is competing in a global health workforce market, and minister Little recently acknowledged the health sector as fiercely competitive.

But this isnt a new phenomenon for New Zealand.

The health workforce in New Zealand has one of the largest shares of migrant workers, with 42 percent of doctors and almost 30 percent of nurses foreign-born (second only to Israel and Ireland, respectively). This is much higher than the aggregate estimates showing one in six doctors practicing in OECD countries studied overseas.

The OECD estimates the number of foreign-born doctors and nurses in OECD countries has increased by 20 percent, twice the growth rate of the overall increase across the workforce. This is what is most concerning.

The health workforce is not equally distributed. Migration of workers from low- and middle-income countries to high-income countries like Aotearoa New Zealand is a real threat to achieving universal health coverage and sustainable development goals.

New Zealand needs to be mindful that promoting our open borders is not at the expense of under-performing health systems with much greater need.

Losing healthcare workers to AustraliaOutflow is also a problem in New Zealand, with New Zealand-trained doctors and nurses crossing the Tasman every year. Add to this the international recruits leaving New Zealand for Australia and there most definitely is a health workforce crisis.

As our nearest neighbour, Australia is aggressively recruiting staff. And like pavlova and Phar Lap they are happy to claim what is ours as theirs. An easier route to citizenship and voting rights will make Australia even more desirable.

How can New Zealand compete in this market? Minister Little refers to encouraging New Zealanders to return home, including lifting their pay. Research shows its not all about income. Location and professional development opportunities are important factors when choosing career moves.

The healthcare reforms helped tempt me back to New Zealand after 22 years away. Perhaps working in a system which has equity as its focus may encourage those who are clinically trained to return as well.

There is considerable research to inform policies around retention and recruitment. The New Zealand Ministry of Health may wish to look to the UK, which was historically dependent on EU health and care workers and now has a health workforce depleted by both Brexit and the pandemic.

In the recent LSE-Lancet Commission on the future of the NHS, British scholars argued a sustainable workforce needed integrated approaches to be developed alongside reforms to education and training that reflect changes in roles and the skill mix, and more multidisciplinary working.

The LSE-Lancet Commission authors flagged the need for better workforce planning. New Zealands approach to workforce forecasting has also been criticised previously.

Planning aside, a possible solution worthy of discussion is the required skill mix of the workforce, particularly with technological advancements and changing health needs. For example, the introduction of non-medical prescribers has improved job satisfaction, released clinical time and increased patient access.

New Zealands once-in-a-generation health reforms offer a logical time to undertake workforce reforms. We need to learn from our own historical mistakes and avoid disconnecting the workforce from the policy reforms.

If minister Little and the ministry are to solve this, he will first need to admit there is a health workforce crisis.

Aotearoa New Zealand is unfortunately not alone in its quest to adequately staff healthcare, but the transformation of the health sector to create a more equitable, accessible, cohesive and people-centred system means New Zealand is uniquely placed to put those people who deliver care at the centre.

Dr Paula Lorgelly is professor of health economics, University of Auckland. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence. Read the original article.

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Despite what political leaders say, New Zealands health workforce is in crisis but its the same everywhere else - Asia Pacific Report