Review of New Zealand’s consumer credit regulation The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is seeking feedback on proposals to strengthen the controls on high-cost credit (such as pay day lenders, truck shops). There are proposals covering five main areas and NZCCSS supports change for stronger regulation and control of lending in all of them….
Policy Watch: Budget 2018 Special “Budget 18 sets out the first steps in a plan for transformation – a transformation of our economy, a transformation of our public services, and a transformation of the way we work together to improve the lives of all New Zealanders”. Hon Grant Robertson, Minister of Finance All eyes were…
Minister for Seniors Tracey Martin has signalled that promoting housing options for older people will be one of two key areas focus for a new Positive Ageing Strategy to be developed this year. The current Positive Ageing Strategy was written in 2001 and needs to be updated to reflect the continuing changes as our population…
Disappointment that the Select Committee has not recommend changes in key areas of the Bill on scope of practice for social work was the first reaction from social workers’ organisations to the report on the Social Workers Registration Amendment Bill released on 19th April. Both the Association of Social Workers and the Public Service Association…
More good news for low income renters was the decision by Housing Minister Phil Twyford to pause all tenancy reviews for people living in public housing, which are Housing NZ or community housing where an income-related rent subsidy (IRRS) is paid. The introduction of tenancy reviews for almost all of those living in social housing…
Excessive pay rises at CEO level are the headline-grabbing examples of the rise in inequality in this country. This excess extends into the government sector, with New Zealand shown to have the second highest paid public service Chief Executives among the 34 wealthy countries in the OECD. This puts New Zealand ahead of much larger…
Mā te huruhuru te manu ka rere Let our rangatahi be the wings that give us flight. The skills and abilities of Māori are central to the future wellbeing of our whole nation: “Rangitahi success represents the most significant opportunity to enhance productivity and ensure collective prosperity for the future”. That is the message from…
Two key Christian social service organisations in Hamilton have now combined, with Methodist Tamahere Eventide taking over the Catholic Atawhai Assisi aged care facilities from the beginning of April. Tamahere CEO Louis Fick, who is also a member of the NZCCSS Services for Older People Policy Group, says “we are Christian faith-based organisation and also…
Right Care, Right Time? The industry organisation for the aged care sector, NZACA, has described access to aged care as a “DHB lottery” based on the findings of a research report released in April. The report found older people in some DHBs had to wait six months or more longer for admission to rest home…
Make a submission due 23 May Another step to improve renting is being taken with a new law on the way that will ban letting fees. Usually charged as the equivalent of one week’s rent on top of the usual 4 weeks rent as bond and 2 weeks rent in advance, these fees are an…
The Moral Force of the Living Wage The Living Wage movement continues to go from strength to strength with the 2018 Living Wage rate of $20.55 announced on the 4th April marking another step in the journey to lift low wages and set a benchmark for decent incomes. NZCCSS is one of nearly 100 organisations…
Mental Health and Addiction Inquiry The Government Inquiry into Mental Health and Addiction is also looking for public comment. Head of this Inquiry is Ron Paterson and he is wanting the inquiry to get feedback as widely as possible. Paterson says that listening well to a wide range of communities and stakeholders is important for…
NZCCSS Submission on the Child Poverty Reduction Bill NZCCSS has given its support for the overall intent of the Bill which for the first time in this country’s history sets out a process for measuring and planning to reduce child poverty into legislation. Setting measures and targets in legislation to reduce child poverty is a…
Tax Working Group 2018 Paul Barber, NZCCSS Policy Advisor Tax is one of the ways that we as citizens of this country relate to each other. We seek to bring more justice and fairness to our communities, because we are all connected and interdependent. The wellbeing of all of us is bound up with the…
Food rescue organisation Kaivolution is an example of the ways people in communities around the country are responding to food insecurity. When people do not have access to good nutritious food to meet their needs for an active and healthy lives – that is food insecurity. “Food is the easiest thing to control. Food is…