JUNE 2022
Pai tū, pai hinga, na wai, na oti.
One may work properly, another may act, yet the sum total is the completion of the work.
Tēnā koe!
Welcome to our June issue of Policy Watch. As you’ll see below, the pace of submission making continues. We invested particularly heavily in providing feedback on the current review of the Working for Families system. If decisionmakers can find courage, the review offers a real opportunity to lift more children out of poverty. To do that, however, would require a complete system overhaul. Challenging, but vitally urgent.
Also in this issue:
- Co-governance and the growing political divide
- Racism in our justice and social welfare systems
- Registrations open for Mo’ui Lelei Fono
- Input invited to the Search and Surveillance Act review
- Feedback sought on workforce challenges and needs
- Report into family violence deaths released
- Call to rethink sale of Auckland public/state land
- Charities Act changes
- Law change to improve access to second COVID-19 booster
- COVID-19 treatment medicines available for higher risk patients
Kia noho haumaru
The Team at NZCCSS
Summary of recent NZCCSS submissions
The NZCCSS policy team has been hard at work on a number of submissions on government policy and initiatives. Here’s a summary of the mahi with links to the submissions:
Working for Families (WfF) – we believe the WfF system is not fit for purpose, as it beds in a ‘worthy’ vs ‘unworthy’ model of welfare that is doing little to end child poverty. A complete reworking of the system is needed to ensure children’s need are foremost. Read more here >
Draft National Adaption Plan – we are strongly supportive of the development of a national adaption plan for climate change and are urging the inclusion of a strong social justice lens to ensure there is not further disenfranchisement of already marginalised communities. Read more here >
Long-Term Insights Briefing – Exploring how community participation can be better enabled by technology – we believe the issue of inequality needs greater attention as digital integration is essential to the lessening of impacts for marginalised groups. Read more here >
The Future of Business for Aotearoa – we strongly support the purposeful engagement of the business sector in social issues and purpose-led models. Many of the NGO and NFP organisations within our membership already engage in purpose-led business. We are advocating for expanding the definition of ‘business’ to include them and allow them to share in the future support for this sector. Read more here >
A Legislative Response to Modern Slavery – we are advocating for criterion to assess a graduated set of responsibilities that relate to the size of entities, guidance information and resources, and for the establishment of an office for fair supply chain practices. Read more here >
Commerce (Grocery Sector Covenants) Amendment Bill – we support this proposed legislation that bans the use of restrictive land covenants. Read more here >
Fair Pay Agreement Bill – we support this bill as a positive step toward eliminating exploitation in workplaces. However, we have concerns that the proposed wording forbids workers from striking during the negotiation process and that the Bill as proposed doesn’t cover gig workers or contractors. Also, we strongly urge the Government to ensure their budgets provide for support of the implementation of the Fair Pay Agreements legislation within NGOs dependent on government funding. Read more here >
See all NZCCSS submissions on our website here.
Our thoughts on Working for Families
NZCCSS welcomes the current review of Working for Families. We see it as an opportunity to return to the commitment New Zealand made to our children as part of the initial design of our welfare system. Moreover, it offers the opportunity to honour that undertaking to our children through a commitment to te Tiriti, manaakitanga and an investment in the future.
We maintain that tweaks to the current system are unlikely to be adequate to generate change. In the current approach, there is immense cost and little return. There is pain, shame, confusion and challenge in accessing the system as it stands. The system requires incredible amounts of time and expertise from clients, advocates and departmental kaimahi in order to navigate successfully.
We think the Government would do well to look to the example of superannuation of what a working system could look like. Certainly, a dramatic simplification of the system is needed to reduce the complexity and streamline the process of entitlement assessment and application. Investing in additional staff to manage the complexity of the system is not effective. Investing in a system that penalises those who access it is reductive. New Zealand will only thrive to the extent that our children do.
Some of our recommendations for revising the system:
- focus on the true costs of families with a commitment to regular cost of living adjustment
- develop a system reflective of and concerned with equity across all families
- make greater use of universal entitlements including making Working for Families one payment without employment discrimination; applying a standard minimum family income consistently and universally; removing the built-in discrimination of beneficiaries
- urgently increase investment in tamariki and their whānau during their early years
- design a system that doesn’t generate debt – or at least, avoids subjecting whānau to further hardship.
See our full submission here >
Co-governance – we’ve been thinking about this too…
“‘Co-governance’ has become a term that people don’t understand. They think it means co-government.” Chris Finlayson
Co-governance is emerging as an important issue for discussion, one that will likely feature on the campaign trail in next year’s Parliamentary elections. It’s always in our hearts and minds here at NZCCSS and we’re planning to give some time to exploring the discussion and implications. As a starting point, we’re sharing this view from Chris Finlayson, former Minister for Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations (National government 2008-2017)…
Read the article here >
Event: Racism in our justice and social welfare systems
The NZ Fabian Society is hosting Dr Oliver Sutherland who will speak on battling the racism of our justice and social welfare systems. Ti Lamusse from the university’s Institute of Criminology will respond.
When: Wednesday June 15, 5:30- 6:45pm
Where: 2/57 Willis St (via the lifts at the back of Unity Books, take the lift to Level 2)
Register to attend in person here.
Dr Sutherland is a Pākehā entomologist who grew up in 1950s and ‘60s New Zealand believing we had the best race relations in the world — until he was confronted by a very different reality. As a member of ACORD (the Auckland Committee on Racism and Discrimination), and working alongside Ngā Tamatoa and the Polynesian Panthers, he has spent decades compiling the concrete evidence of the racism that pervades our systems of police, justice and social welfare, even still today.
Learn more about the event here >
Find out about the NZ Fabian Society here >
Registrations open for Mo’ui Lelei Fono
Registrations are open for the Activating Pacific Communities through Care, Continuity, and Connection fono. Topics include COVID-19, Family Caring & the Impact of Chronic Health Conditions, and Genetics of Diabetes, Gout and Kidney Disease. One of the key note speakers is NZCCSS policy group member Dr Ofa Dewes.
When: Thursday 23 June, 10am-4pm
Where: Sorrento in the Park, 670 Manukau Road, Royal Oak, Auckland,
Register here >
Learn more about the event here >
Provide input to the Search and Surveillance Act review
The Search and Surveillance Act controls how Police and other law enforcement agencies can search people or property and carry out surveillance. The Act includes rules to safeguard human rights. Currently, the Ministry of Justice is reviewing the Act in a two-phase process and is seeking input. In this first phase of the review, the Ministry is collecting feedback predominantly through electronic means. While the Ministry has provided some key discussion points to guide input, it is inviting comment on any and all aspects of the Act.
You have until 30 June to participate. The feedback will then shape the phase two consultation with the wider public planned for later in the year.
Have your say via the Ministry’s Citizen Space engagement platform here >
Or your can email the review here >
Watch a short video to learn more here >
Or if you wanted to add your thoughts to our submission, please email [email protected]
Share your workforce challenges and needs
Toitū te Waiora is one of six workforce development councils (WDCs) created as part of the review of vocational education. The entity represents community, health, education, and social services sectors in Aotearoa and seeks to give industry a strong voice in making the workforce of Aotearoa fit for today and the future.
If you’re an employer or manager in the community, health, education, and social services sectors, Toitū te Waiora wants to hear about your workforce challenges and needs through an online skills survey.
Take the survey here >
(Enter your name at the end to go into a draw or $100 Prezzy Card.)
Find out more about Toitū te Waiora here >
Seventh report into family violence deaths show reduction
The Family Violence Death Review Committee (FVDRC) is an independent committee that reviews and advises the Health Quality & Safety Commission on how to reduce the number of family violence deaths.
The FVDRC this week released its seventh report: A duty to care | Pūrongo tuawhitu: Me manaaki te tangata. The report draws on findings and recommendations from in-depth reviews conducted in 2019–21, as well as previous Committee reports.
The report findings show a reduction in the proportion of family violence deaths occurring in Māori whānau. Between 2009 and 2019, Māori accounted for 44 percent of family violence deaths. In 2021, this dropped to 23 percent of family violence deaths according to the Committee’s provisional data.
In reflecting on the reduction, the Committee is urging government agencies to fulfil their legal duty of care for those who are impacted by family violence; to be good partners with community organisations; to focus on wellbeing; and to take a wiser, more respectful approach to people, families, whānau and community organisations.
Read ‘A duty to care | Pūrongo tuawhitu: Me manaaki te tangata’ here >
Call to rethink sale of Auckland public/state land
Monte Cecilia Housing Trust CEO Bernie Smith is calling on the Government to rethink its plans to sell up to 270ha of Auckland public and state house land to private developers. Smith says though he understands the land is being sold to fund long-term intensification, the move worsens the current situation for thousands of New Zealanders living in transitional housing. Monte Cecilia provides transition and community housing to around 2,000 families each year. Currently that includes 815 children, 400 of whom are seven years or younger. “These children, who are in their formative years, are being traumatised by the feeling that nobody cares and they don’t count because they live the reality of poverty, hour by hour, day by day, running into weeks, months and now potentially years,” says Smith.
Monte Cecilia is calling on the Government to instead partner with community housing providers to unlock greater opportunities for providing safe, warm and secure housing.
Read more here >
Charities Act changes
The Government is progressing with plans to modernise the Charities Act. The changes include easing the financial reporting requirements for very small charities, increasing transparency on accumulated funds, and improving tribunal access for charities wanting to appeal decisions.
Greater transparency will be required of charities with annual operating expenses over $140,000, requiring them to declare and explain any accumulated cash, assets or other resources.
For charities with operating expenses below $140,000, the proposed new rules will relax financial reporting requirements so as to free up resources and allow volunteers to spend less time on paperwork.
An expanded Taxation Review Authority will hear appeals to significant decisions instead of the High Court and charities will be allowed to self-represent.
A bill is expected to be introduced this year to make these amendments.
Read more here >
See the full list of changes here >
Law change to improve access to second COVID-19 booster
The Government is fast-tracking a Bill to amend the Medicines Act, enabling voluntary booster doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to be administered to the most vulnerable by all vaccinators without a prescription. The amendments will make it easier to get a second booster dose for those without ready access to a GP and apply to around 850,000 people who are at high risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.
The proposed eligible groups are: people aged 65 years and over, Māori and Pacific peoples aged 50 years and over, residents of aged care and disability care facilities and severely immunocompromised people who have received a three-dose primary course and a first booster.
The majority of people in these groups will become eligible from July, following advice that six months is an appropriate gap between doses. The legislation will be in place to provide for the July commencement.
COVID-19 treatment medicines available for higher risk patients
The Ministry of health advises that COVID treatment medicines Paxlovid and molnupiravir are available to New Zealanders who have symptoms, and are at a higher risk of hospitalisation. This includes Māori and Pacific peoples, those with complex health needs, older people and unvaccinated populations, and people with disabilities.
Both medicines are five-day courses of tablets or capsules. They need to be taken within five days of a person first developing symptoms for COVID-19. Mostly, they will be prescribed by a doctor following a clinical assessment.
For more information, visit:
We welcome your feedback on POLICY WATCH and other publications produced by the Council, email: [email protected]
Ngā mihi nui
From all of us in the team at NZCCSS