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Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- Automotive
- Otago Daily Times
Canada to exhibit
A building frame awaits cladding at the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition construction site on Logan Park. — Otago Witness, 19.5.1925 The cow with the crumpled horn The Canadian Government will accept the invitation to be represented at the New Zealand and South Seas International Exhibition. It will participate the same as at Wembley, providing the Canadian manufacturers like advantage of the opportunity offered to show goods. The department of Immigration and Colonisation promises that if the Canadian manufacturers and exporters respond to the invitation a general information bureau will be established with office space for the officials in charge in addition to the accommodation for exhibitors. It is expected that the Canadian Manufacturers' Association will make an announcement shortly. A motorist was proceeding along a country road near Oamaru when he collided with a cow that was lying on the thoroughfare. One of the horns of the cow penetrated the radiator of the car, and was broken off. The cow got up and shook herself, and appeared to be little the worse for her adventure. The car had to be taken to a garage to have the horn removed. 16km walk to support Plunket An instance of very real appreciation of the work of the Plunket nurse came under the notice of the Plunket meeting at Weston. There was present a mother who had walked five miles, pushing before her a pram containing a beautiful healthy infant 15 months old. She had to walk the return journey and, at the end of it, set to work to milk cows. She said she owed the health of her child to Plunket Nurse Stephenson and she felt it was the least she could do to attend the meeting to show her sympathy and appreciation. Such gratitude as this is a great incentive to a nurse making her feel that there is no work more worth while than hers. It gaits a bit to the left, mate With the introduction of four-wheel braking systems, which bid fair to become somewhere akin to standard practice in modern car design, there has arisen the necessity for more satisfactory means of making adjustments. In the case of front wheel brakes, there is a condition which calls for most careful design and construction to ensure equal braking on both wheels, otherwise steering troubles will be set up and the safety of the vehicle will be endangered. There is, in many designs of front brake gear, the grave possibility of upsetting the balance of the braking or retarding force and so making the system dangerous by reason of severely straining the steering arrangements. Poppy money to employ diggers The Reserves Committee of the City Council will propose the under-mentioned allocation of expenditure of Poppy Day funds raised by the Dunedin Returned Soldiers' Association: Anzac square filling-in, rolling, sowing and laying down plot, £50. Rhododendron Dell trenching, clearing and extending of previous work, £100. Bathgate Park excavation for tennis courts, £80. Maori Hill extension of tennis courts and playing grounds, £25. Leith Gardens extension of shrubbery, clearing etc, £80. In addition to the above, the council has also available £100 for the Rhododendron Dell work and £25 of garden fete money for work at Maori Hill. Returned soldiers only will be employed on these operations, commencement being made at once. — ODT, 1.6.1925 Compiled by Peter Dowden
NZ Herald
23-05-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
On The Up: Centenarian Shirley Smith reflects on a century of life and world events
She spoke to the Bay of Plenty Times ahead of her birthday, sharing the most important piece of advice for life she had learned in her years: 'Meet the day as best as you can.' Smith was born on May 23, 1925, in Lower Hutt. She lived in Napier during the 1930s and sailed to England in 1948, spending six long weeks aboard the steamship Mataroa. She returned to Lower Hutt 18 months later and has lived in Tauranga with her family for nearly 60 years. 'I enjoy reminiscing about the past,' she said. Her first job was as an office clerk at Colonial Mutual Life Insurance Company. She also did office work at Railways Road Services in Wellington before heading to the UK. 'I used to clip the tickets for road services and rail services,' she said. 'I worked at Paddington Station, and the hygiene – there wasn't any, it was terrible." She wanted to be a pharmacist, but female pharmacists were unheard of at the time. She began nursing training in maternity and public health at Wellington Hospital at the age of 28. 'I did that for a few years, and I visited people, because they had no Plunket, of course. 'So I had to go around and weigh babies to make sure they were all right.' Asked for the most memorable world events of her lifetime, she quipped: 'I've just got to oil my brains. 'I remember when the first female pilot arrived in New Zealand,' she said, referring to Rotorua-born Jean Batten, who set several aviation records, including the first solo flight from England to New Zealand. She recalled Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 and the death of Princess Diana in 1997. 'I was very interested in the royal family.' She also recalled the Challenger space shuttle explosion of 1986, which killed its seven crew members, including teacher Christa McAuliffe. 'I remember that, it blew up in the sky, and there was a woman in the shuttle.' Smith had five children, including a set of twins; 14 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren. She married Robert Smith in 1960, the father of her children. He died in 1980. Her youngest daughter, Brenda-Joy Newman, shared some of the many hobbies her mother had throughout her 100 years. 'Mum used to play tennis, she used to do lots of knitting, she was a singer and would be involved with theatre. Newman said her mother 'loved to entertain with her lovely voice'. 'She's been on the stage singing and was involved in her later life with the Skittle band.' 'They used to go around lots of places and perform, and even performed at the jazz festival one year.'
The Spinoff
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Spinoff
A budget for machines, not midwives
The centrepiece of the budget – a tax break for businesses investing in 'productive assets' – may makes sense on its own terms, but when contrasted with what's not being funded, it's telling, writes Max Rashbrooke. Our Budget 2025 coverage is thanks to The Spinoff Members. The Spinoff is not backed by billion-dollar budgets or billionaires, we're backed by you. To meet our current goal, we need 500 new members by the end of June. Please donate now. Machines, not midwives: that, according to Thursday's budget, is what matters to the New Zealand economy. The centrepiece of the budget, handed down with the usual pomp and ceremony by finance minister Nicola Willis, was a $1.7bn tax break by which businesses investing in 'productive assets' – machinery, tools, equipment and the like – can deduct 20% of the value of that investment from their Inland Revenue bill. The broad consensus is that this move makes sense on its own terms, encouraging investment in the capital stock that can help boost productivity. It is, though, somewhat underwhelming: even measured over 20 years, it adds just 1% to GDP and – even more speculatively – 1.5% to wages. More telling still was the contrast with what's not being funded. Most obviously, and notoriously, that's pay equity. The government has banked $12.8bn by gutting the claims currently being taken by workers in female-dominated industries who, the courts have found, are being underpaid purely because they are women. Those workers include Plunket nurses, midwives, and the care and support staff who help look after elderly and vulnerable people in their own homes. Willis insisted money had been put aside for a much-reduced version of the pay equity process. She refused, though, to say how much, insisting that disclosure would undermine the Crown's negotiating position – even though, in this instance, the total sum could presumably have been disclosed without making it clear to any industry how much was set aside for their specific claim. We are free to speculate, then, that the government may have put aside just tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars, rather than $12.8bn, to address the historic underpayment of female workers. That, in turn, makes clear the government's priorities. The coalition parties like big, grunty bits of kit – the sort of equipment that, despite changes in the workforce, is probably still largely owned and deployed by men – but they are not particularly interested in paying women what they are worth. Indeed, the annual $1.7bn cost of the business tax break is easily covered by the roughly $3bn annual cut to pay equity. It's pretty clear, then, what matters. Machines, yes. Midwives? No. Robbing Peter to pay Paul Along similar lines, the rest of the budget consists of initiatives that help certain groups but only at the expense of others. It's a familiar story of robbing Peter to pay Paul – or, given the above facts, robbing Pamela to pay Paul. Sixteen and seventeen-year-olds, for instance, will be eligible for the annual KiwiSaver government contribution. But that contribution has been halved from $520 to $260. And even while the government is encouraging young people to save and be independent, it is telling them that, if they are aged 18 or 19, they won't get Jobseeker Support if their parents are in a position to support them. Does this make any kind of coherent sense? Not obviously. Elsewhere, support for children with learning difficulties gets a dramatic, long-overdue and much-welcome boost. But this is funded in part by taking, over a four-year period, hundreds of millions of dollars away from Kāhui Ako, a scheme that was producing at least modest benefits by helping teachers work more closely together, spread successes and diminish the isolation experienced by struggling schools. Some households, meanwhile, will get around $7 a week more because the income threshold at which they start to lose their Working for Families payments is being raised from about $43,000 to $45,000. Once they earn over that threshold, though, the rate at which those payments are clawed back will increase. The state giveth with one hand, and taketh away with another. Meanwhile families earning just $79,000 will start to lose their entitlement to the Best Start payment provided during their newborn's first year. There are countless more cuts – adding up to over $2bn – in the budget, many of them seemingly petty: millions of dollars taken from schemes for Māori teachers, energy conservation programmes, RNZ and others. It will be interesting to see whether the government pays the price for this, in the form of story after story about the damage done by hundreds of lost programmes, or whether that is drowned out by the good vibes from the business tax break and other measures. Ardern's child poverty promises abandoned The budget's lack of basic substance is most badly exposed by its plan to tackle – or rather, not tackle – child poverty. Back in 2018, Jacinda Ardern set ambitious targets for cutting hardship, pledging to reduce from 16% to 5% the proportion of families living on less than half the typical income. Her government got about one-third of the way before progress stalled post-pandemic. Now, National's target is literally to do nothing: to maintain the current 12% of children living in poverty for ever and ever, amen. The Treasury's official projection is that this target will be achieved, because – from a social point of view – this is essentially what the budget is about: treading water. The government's opponents will, nonetheless, struggle to lend a telling blow on this budget, because it is not really about slash-and-burn. But the longer-term trend is clear. Despite the growing calls on the state – to tackle poverty, to address the effects of climate change, and to care for an ageing population – Willis is determined to shrink government spending as a proportion of GDP from 33% to 31%. A diminishing share of our annual income will be spent on solving collective problems. Yes, the New Zealand government is currently spending more than it earns. But, given that the wealthiest New Zealanders pay half the tax rate of we average folk, the best way to close that gap is to increase tax rates at the upper end. Instead, we have a government that – lest we forget – is still handing out $2.9bn in tax cuts to landlords. There we have it, then: a budget that prioritises machines over midwives, funds new schemes only by cutting other successful ones, and generally treads water. New Zealand is a country with big structural problems. It is not clear that this budget solves any of them.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Measles alert in Auckland: Risks, symptoms, and prevention
Health New Zealand has issued a public alert after a new case of measles was confirmed in Auckland, prompting urgent warnings over possible community exposure and renewed concerns over the country's low immunisation rates. #Operation Sindoor The damage done at Pak bases as India strikes to avenge Pahalgam Why Pakistan pleaded to end hostilities Kashmir's Pahalgam sparks Karachi's nightmare 'There are a number of public locations in Auckland where the person has been infected,' said a HNZ spokesperson. The infected individual is a staff member of Fullers360 ferries, and is believed to have contracted the virus while travelling in Asia. Although not infectious during their flight back, the person became contagious soon after returning, visiting multiple public locations in Auckland while capable of spreading the virus. Exposure Locations Identified Live Events The case has triggered contact tracing efforts centered on several key locations visited by the individual. They are as follows: 1) Woolworths Kelston, 2) Auckland Downtown Carpark, Custom Street, 3) Fullers360 ferries People who visited these locations are advised to check their immunisation status and remain alert for symptoms . Those who are not immune and were present at the listed sites should call Healthline (0800 611 116) before seeking in-person medical care. Vaccination Rates Below Critical Threshold Dr. Susan Jack, Health NZ's Clinical Director of Protection, warned that the country's immunisation rate hovers around 80 percent, far below the 95 percent required to prevent an outbreak. 'Because measles is so highly infectious, we actually need around 95 percent coverage,' Dr. Jack said. 'If you're unvaccinated and a close contact, please stay home.' Recent data also indicates that immunisation rates among Māori and Pacific children are below the national average. The Ministry of Health has intensified efforts to increase MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine uptake, including partnering with Plunket to deploy more vaccinators, especially in vulnerable communities. Plunket, officially known as The Royal New Zealand Plunket Trust, is a charity that provides free health and development services. Symptoms and Risks Measles is one of the most contagious viruses globally, with up to 90 percent of non-immune people becoming infected after exposure. Early symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, sore, red eyes, followed by a distinctive blotchy rash. Complications occur in up to 30 percent of cases and include pneumonia, seizures, ear infections (which can lead to deafness), and, in rare cases, brain swelling or the deadly SSPE (subacute sclerosing panencephalitis). The last major measles outbreak in New Zealand was in 2019, with over 2,000 cases and significant hospitalisations. Two unborn babies died as a result. Who Should Be Vaccinated? Children: Two MMR doses at 12 and 15 months. Adults born after 1969: Should have two documented MMR doses. Infants over 6 months: Can receive the vaccine during outbreaks. Those unsure of their status: A second dose is safe, even if previously vaccinated. Call to Action The Government urges all residents to verify their vaccination status through My Health Record or with their GP. The Vaccination Helpline (0800 28 29 26) is available for parents to check children's records. The Health Minister emphasized, 'It's not a matter of if but when New Zealand sees a full-scale measles outbreak if vaccination rates do not improve.' Frequently Asked Questions 1. How is measles spread? Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air via droplets when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also linger in the air or on surfaces for up to two hours. 2. Who is most at risk? Unvaccinated individuals, especially children under five and people with weakened immune systems, are most at risk of serious illness or complications from measles. 3. How can I protect myself and my family? Vaccination is the best protection. The MMR vaccine (measles, mumps, and rubella) is safe and highly effective. If unsure about your or your child's vaccination status, contact your healthcare provider.
Scoop
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Women's Rights Party On The Pay Equity Issue
Sunday, 11 May 2025, 2:22 pm Press Release: Women's Rights Party Many years ago, Women's Rights Party Co-leader Jill Ovens had a button that said 'Equal Pay for Mother's Day'. 'How relevant is that this week!' she says. Women's Rights Party members are concerned about the impact on women of changes to pay equity legislation under urgency last week. An estimated 150,000 women workers whose pay equity claims have been extinguished are now in limbo. Many of these claims will not be able to restart under the new pay equity regime. As we celebrate Mother's Day today [Sunday, 11 May] we acknowledge that our mother's work and contributions to society, whether paid or unpaid, have been systematically undervalued over a very long time. 'Work typically done by women, continues to be undervalued, and this contributes to the on-going sex-based pay gap,' Ms Ovens says. She says the 14 pay equity settlements to date, mostly in the core public sector and the education and health sectors, have made a big difference in the pay of women workers, and of men working in women-dominated sectors. Low paid workers such as teacher aides and care and support workers now have more money in their pay packets to feed, clothe, and house their families. But the settlements created pay disparities with those employed in organisations largely dependent on government funding, like Plunket, hospices, medical laboratories, and community organisations employing social workers. Many of the 33 pay equity claims that have been extinguished, pending the Governor General's assent to the new Pay Equity legislation, were to address pay parity with nurses and social workers who are directly employed in public sector agencies like Health NZ and Oranga Tamariki whose pay equity settlements were settled some time ago. 'This is where market forces come in as it becomes impossible for non-government organisations to attract and retain staff if they are not being funded to pay the same rates,' Ms Ovens says. As a negotiator for MERAS, the midwives' union, Ms Ovens says she was aware of the struggle of private birthing centres to pay midwives and nurses the same rates as those directly-employed by Health NZ, even though birthing centres are highly dependent on Health NZ funding. A pay equity claim for midwives employed by private birthing centres is among those cancelled this week. Long lasting effect on women The Women's Rights Party says that cutting back on pay equity for women workers will have a long-lasting effect. A major source of the disadvantage women face in retirement is inequity in retirement savings because women earn less than men on average over their working life (this is called the 'pay gap penalty'). Women are also disadvantaged by unpaid responsibilities caring for children, family members with disabilities, and their elders (this is called the 'mothering penalty'). According to the Institute of Economic Research (NZIER), the average KiwiSaver balance for women is 25% lower than the average balance for men across all age groups, The NZIER reports that at 65 years old, a woman working full-time and earning the median wage, will have the equivalent of at least three years less retirement income in her KiwiSaver account than a man her age; a meaningful difference as women tend to live longer than men. Ms Ovens says Health NZ, New Zealand's largest single employer of women, contributes the minimum statutory 3% KiwiSaver employer contribution to its women-dominated workforces – nurses, midwives, clerical workers, cleaners and food services workers. But the historically male-dominated doctors and dentists are paid a 6% employer contribution on much higher salaries. Police also have a healthy employer contribution to KiwiSaver, as do many other male-dominated occupations. 'This is why we argued in the midwives' claim that KiwiSaver contributions should be taken into account in comparing work covered by the claim with the comparators,' Ms Ovens says. To help with understanding pay equity, here are two fact sheets with more information. Fact Sheet 1: Pay Equity history Despite its name, the Equal Pay Act 1972 (passed by a National Government), did allow for pay equity, i.e. equal pay for work of equal value, as the NZ Court of Appeal found in 2014 in the Terranova Homes and Care case taken by the Service and Food Workers Union in the name of aged care worker Kristine Bartlett. Subsequently the National Government of the day passed legislation approving an interim settlement for care and support workers across the country who would be acknowledged for the work they were doing and properly rewarded. The legislation also approved principles of pay equity and the establishment of a Joint Working Party of employers, unions and government. The Joint Working Party came up with processes that would mean those in women-dominated occupations, including men in those occupations, would not have to go all the way to the Court of Appeal to get a settlement. Ms Ovens says it should be stressed that while redress to employment jurisdictions was still possible, the process that was recommended involved employers and unions working together to achieve a negotiated outcome. The then National Government attempted to bring in amendments to the Equal Pay Act in 2017 to reflect the outcomes of the Joint Working Party, but these amendments were defeated. In 2020, the then Labour Government introduced amendments on similar lines as National's 2017 previous amendments, after much criticism by National MPs for the length of time it was taking. This was supported enthusiastically by MPs on both sides of the House. The 2020 Equal Pay Act Amendments aimed to provide a 'simple and accessible process to progress a pay equity claim'. There were duties on the parties (unions and employers) to 'act in good faith towards each other' and to use 'best endeavours' to reach an agreement. In fact, the requirements were rigorous. For example, unions had to contact all those covered by the union-raised claim to see if they wanted to opt out, and they could not charge a fee to non-union workers who had agreed to be part of the process. There were also requirements around claims involving multiple employers that allowed for an employer to opt out of the multi-employer process for 'genuine reasons' based on 'reasonable grounds'. There would then be a separate process for that employer. A Pay Equity Taskforce was set up within the State Services Commission (now the Public Sector Commission) which developed tools and benchmarks to be signed off by the parties along the way. This was disestablished soon after the 2023 Election. Fact Sheet 2: Our response to the case for a reset of the pay equity legislation 1. The Government is saying the costs to the Crown have been considerable as most claims have been in the public sector. However, that shows the extent of the sex-based discrimination in public sector pay. 2. The fiscal costs of two large unresolved claims (teachers and care and support workers) are significant. This has given rise to suggestions that the timing of the legislation and its progress under urgency could be seen as a cynical move to show a surplus in the upcoming Budget. The Government is saying that addressing the pay gap for women in the public sector will mean trade-offs in terms of service provision in other areas. This is why pay equity needs to be addressed as a separate Budget item. Why should women workers continue to suffer lower pay than men in comparable occupations? 3. The Government has said that the claims currently underway will be able to be reinitiated under the new legislation. However, the new threshold of 70% women in an occupation covered by a claim (up from 60%) rules out secondary teachers, 63% of whom are women, and probation officers, 68% of whom are women. It may be that other women-dominated occupational groups will be unable to pursue pay equity claims as a result. 4. The government says the threshold for accepting a pay equity claim is too low. In deciding whether it is 'arguable' that work covered by a pay equity claim is currently undervalued or has historically been undervalued, the 2020 Equal Pay Act Amendments suggested that the origins and history of the work, including wage setting processes, may be considered, as well as any social, cultural, or historical factors. Characterisation of the work as 'women's work', with skills or qualities overlooked in pay setting could also be included. The skills that Kristine Bartlett possessed as an aged care worker with 12 years' experience had been considered to be of less value than those of the gardener because caring for our elders was not considered as physically demanding as pruning the bushes. The midwives pay equity claim was lodged before the 2020 legislation and a detailed case for the 'merit' of the claim was made, which included all of the above. However, the argument against having to prove the merit of the claim is that this is putting the cart before the horse because it pre-empts the pay equity process. 5. The government says there was not enough guidance on the selection of male comparators. Selection of potential comparators is agreed by the parties. In the case of the Nurses and Midwives claims, the criteria for selecting the comparators was based on factors such as the number of employees in the potential comparator occupation, whether there was a Collective Agreement in place so there could be a full examination of pay rates, and whether training or educational requirements were comparable. The employers of the potential male comparator groups also needed to agree to be part of the process as they would need to release their workers for the interview part of the process, and to release information to the parties to the pay equity claim. Some potential comparators were discarded by the parties after a rigorous process of interviewing role holders, evaluating the evidence against agreed factors, and further analysis and negotiation between the parties as to the extent of the sex-based discrimination. It should be noted that it is because of the amount of evidence that has been collected, and the amount of resource involved, that the same male comparators have be used in other pay equity claims with the agreement of their employer. 6. The government wants to limit comparators to the same employer or sector. Limiting male comparators to a single employer or a single industry or sector rules out many, if not most, women-dominated industries and sectors as there may be virtually no potential male-dominated comparators within the employer or sector. In the case of the midwives employed by Health NZ, the only possible male comparators within the health sector were limited by the fact that almost all occupations in the health sector are women-dominated. The unions argued for GPs as a potential comparator as they had been used as a comparator in the self-employed Lead Maternity Carer (LMC) midwives High Court case. The then Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield unilaterally ruled out GPs. Another potential comparator was employed dentists. The parties went all through the pay equity process, including interviews with role holders, and at the end of the process of evaluating the respective roles against the agreed factors, they were the closest comparator. However, the cost of addressing the gap between employed midwives and dentists was so great that Health NZ ruled out the dentists. The only other potential comparator was Nurse Practitioners, but they were ruled out as they were subject to another pay equity claim; that of the Nurses. It should be noted that the pay equity process does not require an exact match on all factors. Some potential male comparators might score highly on the degree of exposure to hazards, noise levels, and other factors that may impact the working environment, for example. Work typically performed by women might score highly on interpersonal skills and emotional demands, or fine physical skills. Exposure to hazards may be applicable in both the claimants and the comparators. It also doesn't mean the same pay is due. For example, if the work of the women-dominated occupation is evaluated at 80% of the male comparator, then the pay adjustment would be 80% of what the male comparators are paid. The other point to note is that men performing work in a women-dominated occupation also suffer from the same sex-based discrimination as the women they work alongside. 7. The government wants to add more prescription to comparison methodology. The intention is to separate out market factors that affect pay, but are not related to sex-based discrimination. Skills shortages are one such market factor, but these could be directly linked to the comparatively low pay of work typically performed by women because that work is undervalued. Nurses, midwives, teachers are among workforces that have been on the skills shortage list for decades. The other change is to only assess whether the workforce has experienced sex-based undervaluation since the work became predominantly performed by women. It is well known that the more women who enter a profession or occupation, the less value is put on the work by society and by employers, and the pay will reflect that. This is surely an example of blatant sex-based discrimination. On the other hand, kindergarten and primary school teachers have always been predominantly women, as have nurses and midwives. The fact that these occupational groups have historically been subject to sex-based undervaluation, which continues to this day, does not diminish their claim that this is discriminatory. 8. Remove the ability for a settlement to include a review clause and to limit when claims can be re-issued to 10 years. The intention is to determine whether concerns about pay are related to the re-emergence of sex-based undervaluation or other market forces. The problem is when the comparators negotiate a pay hike after the extent of the undervaluation in relation to one or more comparators has been calculated and agreed between the parties. This will disrupt the calculation of the undervaluation. How can we be sure that ratcheting up pay rates for male-dominated occupations is not related to the re-emergence of sex-based undervaluation? Extending the re-issuing of reviews to 10 years seems on the face of it to be arbitrary. It means, for example, that care and support workers will not be eligible for a review until 2027, and midwives will not be eligible for a review until 2033. © Scoop Media
