Silence On Mental Health Initiatives In Budget 2025 Is Concerning
The government places a strong emphasis on welcoming overseas investors to fund its infrastructure pipeline, but we urge them to remain steadfast on the wellbeing of our workers who will put these projects into motion, says MATES in Construction Chief ... More >>
Fly The Flag For Suicide Prevention
Monday, 5 September 2022, 10:14 am | MATES in Construction
This week you are likely to see a flag flying over a construction site near you. Over 1000 flags will be flying on sites across Aotearoa New Zealand as the industry comes together for its third year of Fly the Flag. Driven by the charity MATES in ... More >>
MATES In Construction Signs First Local Government Partnership
Tuesday, 16 August 2022, 11:56 am | MATES in Construction
Whanganui District Council has signed up to a partnership with MATES in Construction (MATES), for training and support services to promote mental health and suicide awareness among construction workers. MATES will work alongside Whanganui District Council ... More >>
Mental Health Crisis In Construction Industry Is Getting Worse – Survey
Wednesday, 15 June 2022, 11:07 am | MATES in Construction
A new survey reveals the mental health crisis in the construction sector is getting worse, as the industry grapples with COVID-19 disruptions, failing businesses and critical supply shortages. The survey, conducted for suicide prevention charity MATES ... More >>
Pandemic Stress Increases Need For Mental Health Support – Survey
Thursday, 10 February 2022, 9:54 am | MATES in Construction
A new survey of over 1200 construction workers shows that the huge stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic is worsening the mental health crisis in the industry, says Mates in Construction CEO Victoria McArthur. Mates in Construction is a workplace ... More >>
Construction Industry Flying The Flag For Suicide Prevention
Monday, 8 November 2021, 1:37 pm | MATES in Construction
660 flags will fly over 450 construction sites around the country and the Auckland Harbour Bridge will be lit up for our mates this week as the industry stands up in support of mental health and suicide prevention, says Mates in Construction CEO Victoria ... More >>
Branz Study Reveals Higher Rates Of Suicide In The Construction Industry Than Previously Thought
Thursday, 28 October 2021, 10:45 am | MATES in Construction
New Otago University research has revealed that New Zealand's construction workers are more than two times more likely to die by suicide than the rest of the workforce. The research has been commissioned by suicide prevention and support program MATES ... More >>
MATES In Construction Welcomes Government Funding
Wednesday, 20 October 2021, 9:10 am | MATES in Construction
Workplace mental health and suicide prevention charity MATES in Construction says new government funding will allow it to expand its support to construction workers right around the country. The charity has received $600,000 in one off funding from ... More >>
Mental health charity encourages Kiwis to light a candle this World Suicide Prevention Day
Thursday, 9 September 2021, 9:30 am | MATES in Construction
Mental health charity MATES in Construction is urging Kiwis to light a candle in their window at 8pm on September the 10th to mark World Suicide Prevention Day. MATES in Construction is a mental health charity which works with people in the construction ... More >>
MATES In Construction Announce Partnership With Reece Group
Monday, 2 August 2021, 9:25 am | MATES in Construction
The campaign to improve mental health in the construction sector has received a boost, with Reece Group announcing a new partnership with the MATES in Construction suicide prevention programme. MATES in Construction is a workplace based ... More >>
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Otago Daily Times
2 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
'Focused 100%' on economy, not passport: Luxon
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon denies the government has lost its focus, as calls intensify for the government to take action to help pull Auckland out of its economic slump. Earlier this month Auckland Business Chamber boss Simon Bridges called on the government to do more to stimulate the economy in the supercity. The latest Stats NZ data showed Auckland's 6.1% unemployment rate for the June 2025 quarter was the worst of all regions, ahead of the national rate of 5.2%. An article in the the Sunday Star-Times at the weekend said "many business leaders and political insiders, including those from traditional centre-right bases of support for National, are beginning to doubt whether" Luxon's coalition has an economic plan. Heart of the City boss Viv Beck said "Rome is burning for some of our small businesses", and Newmarket Business Association head Mark Knoff-Thomas said it was "ludicrous" the government was spending its time reordering words on passport covers instead of focusing on the economy. Mayor Wayne Brown wants a bed night levy, which the government is not keen on. "They'll cave in. They want to be elected…. They'll cave in on this, mate. This is a third of New Zealand. This is the city that decides who's the government." Luxon said the government was "not focused on passport changes" but would not be implementing a bed tax. "We're actually focused 100% on actually growing this economy … We inherited the big recession. We've had a massive post-Covid hangover," he said. We've had a lot of international challenges with respect to tariffs, and what that's done for sentiment and confidence, but I just say to you, we're also seeing a recovery in New Zealand." Luxon said South Island primary industries were "growing strongly" but "we know we've got work to do in our cities". He pointed to the government's fast-track scheme for big projects, capital investment write-offs for small businesses and making it easier to get things built. "It's really tough in Auckland and also in Wellington, you know? If you're in Christchurch, it's different, as I said before, but, you know, there's no doubt about it," Luxon said "We're open to continuing to look at what more we can do. We're pretty dynamic and agile. We keep adjusting and doing things to adjust to the circumstances that we're in." One recent poll saw Labour surge ahead of National, and Luxon neck-and-neck with Labour's Chris Hipkins as preferred prime minister. Another had National and Labour in a statistical, ditto for Luxon and Hipkins, with just 1 percentage point separating the parties and leaders. When Bridges led the National Party, it regularly polled in the 40s. He was rolled as leader in 2020 after a collapse in the party's support as Covid-19 spread the world. Luxon said he would "absolutely" be leading National into the 2026 election. "For me it's actually staying focused on what New Zealanders care about and that is actually us fixing this economy. "I appreciate it's been difficult, you know, we've had a very difficult, you know, a poor inheritance, but, you know, our job is to fix it for New Zealanders and that's what we're going to do every day."
RNZ News
2 hours ago
- RNZ News
Christopher Luxon says he's 'focused 100%' on economy, not passports
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaking at Botany Downs Secondary College with Education Minister Erica Stanford. Photo: Calvin Samuel / RNZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon denies the government has lost its focus, as calls intensify for the government to take action to help pull Auckland out of its economic slump. Earlier this month Auckland Business Chamber boss Simon Bridges called on the government to do more to stimulate the economy in the supercity. The latest Stats NZ data showed Auckland's 6.1 percent unemployment rate for the June 2025 quarter was the worst of all regions, ahead of the national rate of 5.2 percent. An article in the the Sunday Star-Times at the weekend said "many business leaders and political insiders, including those from traditional centre-right bases of support for National, are beginning to doubt whether" Luxon's coalition has an economic plan. Heart of the City boss Viv Beck said "Rome is burning for some of our small businesses", and Newmarket Business Association head Mark Knoff-Thomas said it was "ludicrous" the government was spending its time reordering words on passport covers instead of focusing on the economy. Mayor Wayne Brown wants a bed night levy , which the government is not keen on. "They'll cave in. They want to be elected…. They'll cave in on this, mate. This is a third of New Zealand. This is the city that decides who's the government." Luxon told RNZ's Morning Report the government was "not focused on passport changes" but would not be implementing a bed tax. "We're actually focused 100 percent on actually growing this economy … We inherited the big recession. We've had a massive post-Covid hangover," he said. We've had a lot of international challenges with respect to tariffs, and what that's done for sentiment and confidence, but I just say to you, we're also seeing a recovery in New Zealand." Luxon said South Island primary industries were "growing strongly" but "we know we've got work to do in our cities". He pointed to the government's fast-track scheme for big projects, capital investment write-offs for small businesses and making it easier to get things built. "It's really tough in Auckland and also in Wellington, you know? If you're in Christchurch, it's different, as I said before, but, you know, there's no doubt about it," Luxon said "We're open to continuing to look at what more we can do. We're pretty dynamic and agile. We keep adjusting and doing things to adjust to the circumstances that we're in." One recent poll saw Labour surge ahead of National, and Luxon neck-and-neck with Labour's Chris Hipkins as preferred prime minister. Another had National and Labour in a statistical, ditto for Luxon and Hipkins, with just 1 percentage point separating the parties and leaders. When Bridges led the National Party, it regularly polled in the 40s. He was rolled as leader in 2020 after a collapse in the party's support as Covid-19 spread the world. Luxon said he would "absolutely" be leading National into the 2026 election. "For me it's actually staying focused on what New Zealanders care about and that is actually us fixing this economy. "I appreciate it's been difficult, you know, we've had a very difficult, you know, a poor inheritance, but, you know, our job is to fix it for New Zealanders and that's what we're going to do every day." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
2 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Qantas facing big fine after illegally sacking workers
Photo: Reuters Australia's largest airline is staring down the barrel of another nine-figure fine for illegally sacking more than 1800 workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Federal Court will hand down a hefty penalty to Qantas on Monday in what will be the latest court blow for the airline after a scandal-plagued recent tenure. Qantas outsourced its baggage handlers, cleaners and ground staff in 2020, in a move the court ruled was designed to curb union bargaining power in wage negotiations. It appealed the ruling to the High Court but the decision was not overturned, paving the way for Monday's penalty. The Transport Workers Union has sought the maximum penalty of $A121 million ($NZ133m) , while Qantas has urged Justice Michael Lee to impose a "mid-range" penalty between $A40 million and $A80 million. Qantas will cop the fine on top of a $A120 million compensation payment it has made to the ground staff for their economic loss, pain and suffering since their jobs were outsourced during the pandemic. It has argued the actions were a mistake, not a deliberate breach of the law. Qantas also sold tickets to cancelled flights for several years, triggering more legal turmoil and a $A100 million fine after it was sued by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. The carrier, which was under the control of Alan Joyce at the time of the illegal sacking, lost billions of dollars during the pandemic, which decimated the aviation sector. But the former CEO did not address the scandal when he spoke at an aviation conference on Thursday, instead spruiking his ability to keep the airline afloat in unprecedented times. "But here's the real insight: resilience isn't a reaction … it's a decision made years in advance, often when it's uncomfortable, even unpopular," he said. "Qantas was the only major Australian airline not to go bankrupt during or after the pandemic … that wasn't luck. That was resilience."
