Podcasts about helen clark foundation

Renewing existing infrastructure rather than investing in new shiny projects is the best way to go, according to a new report co-produced by the Helen Clark Foundation and WSP New Zealand. The foundation claims 99% of the infrastructure New Zealand needs, has already been built. Foundation Deputy Director Kali Mercier says renewals and repairs are much cheaper. She told Mike Hosking one of their recommendations is keeping scorecards so the management and condition of major infrastructure can be tracked. Mercier says that currently, just one of six central government agencies keeps a full asset register, and just two have comprehensive asset management plans in place. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A desire to level the playing field, when it comes to lobbying. Health Coalition Aotearoa's pushing for stronger regulations alongside the Helen Clark Foundation and Transparency International. They want a public register of lobbyist meetings, a cooling-off period to prevent ex-ministers immediately becoming lobbyists, and a lower limit forcing someone to disclose political donations. Co-Chair, Boyd Swinburn says told Andrew Dickens those with vested interests are getting a bigger say on public policy, than groups pushing for positive social outcomes. He says nothing wrong with balanced lobbying -- which gives policy for public good, not private good. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research, which has been commissioned by the Helen Clark Foundation shows that many are expressing concern for social cohesion in the country. Tuesday Wire Host, Castor, spoke to the Movement Building and Advocacy Director for Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, Lisa Woods, about this research, and why people may be concerned for social cohesion in New Zealand.

New research, which has been commissioned by the Helen Clark Foundation shows that many are expressing concern for social cohesion in the country. Tuesday Wire Host, Castor, spoke to the Movement Building and Advocacy Director for Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, Lisa Woods, about this research, and why people may be concerned for social cohesion in New Zealand.

As sea levels rise, home insurance premiums follow. A new report from the Helen Clark Foundation and engineering consultancy WSP New Zealand says it's time we sorted out how best to protect our homes. Report author Kali Mercier tells Ross Inglis what residential property insurance could look like in a time of climate change.

The New Zealand Dental Association and Health Coalition Aotearoa are throwing their support behind a new report that calls for urgent government intervention to tackle obesity. The Helen Clark Foundation report says obesity is now the leading risk factor for death and disability in New Zealand, ahead of smoking. It calls for a levy to incentivise a reduction in the amount of sugar in food, removing sugary drinks in schools and ensuring healthy food is served in hospitals, Delphine Herbert reports.

The Helen Clark foundation is calling on the Government to address New Zealand's growing obesity stats and improve access to healthy foods. The think tank's newly-released report revealed that one in eight Kiwi kids and one-third of adults live with obesity - the third-highest rate in the OECD. Health advocate and activist Dave Letele says it's important to invest in educational programs to teach families how to improve their help - but companies need to be regulated too. "These companies, these sugar companies, these fast-food companies - the most profitable places are all in the poorest areas. I think they should be made to invest in these communities." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New research shows a third of New Zealand adults are obese – and policies focused on individual responsibility are failing. A Helen Clark Foundation report suggests tackling obesity will require cracking down on junk food advertising, the proliferation of takeaways, and bringing in new levies on unhealthy products. So, is the era of placing the blame on the individual going to be a thing of the past? And can the government to anything to curb obesity in this country? Today on The Front Page, Helen Clark Foundation executive director Murray Bruges is with us to discuss. Follow The Front Page on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network. Host: Chelsea DanielsSound Engineer/Producer: Richard MartinProducer: Ethan SillsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Helen Clark Foundation wants widespread change to address New Zealand's high obesity rate. Its report recommends government policy interventions to improve the proportion of healthy food available. It also suggests restricting the marketing of unhealthy food to children and adopting new technologies for obesity treatment. Executive Director Murray Bruges joined Kerre Woodham. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The health system, well, we're not really talking about the health system, but how not to get into the health system because every time we talk about the health system, we talk about the need to stop people getting into the health system in the first place, the need to focus on prevention rather than cure. And the Helen Clark Foundation has come up with a new report calling on politicians to take a new direction when it comes to problems with obesity and the health problems related to obesity. A third of New Zealand adults are obese and even if we want to split hairs and play fast and loose with the BMI - All Black front rowers are technically obese! Everybody knows you can be skinny fat! You know you can all protest as much as you like, but the fact is too many of us are unhealthy because we're fat and that leads to a long, miserable and expensive relationship with the country's health system. Obesity is now the leading risk factor for death and disability in this country. The Helen Clark Foundation Report, ‘Junk Food and Poor Policy' says successive governments have primarily approached obesity as a matter of individual responsibility. And I would add to that, that society also sees obesity as a moral failing, which complicates matters. So if you're fat, you've got poor self-control, haven't you? Oh dear, you're not trying hard enough. Oh dear, you're clearly a person with lax morals, all that kind of judginess goes on as well. The foundation argues that successive governments have done far too little to address the underlying issues of what causes obesity. Only a fraction of school canteens meet the nutritional guidelines. The concentration of takeaways is highest in the most deprived suburbs in New Zealand, so the people who have the least amount of time to prepare nutritional meals, find themselves bombarded with takeaway stores just around the corner. The Helen Clark Foundation wants to see a healthier food environment, stricter rules for advertising junk food, giving local government the power to control new unhealthy food outlets (similar to bottle stores and how they're allowed to operate), and making the health star rating on food packaging mandatory. Regulation can work – soft drinks levy introduced in the UK in 2016, has led to a 35 percent reduction in the total sugar sold over four years and lowered hospital admissions for dental treatment. So that has got to be good news. The Foundation's also calling for embedding healthier food across hospitals, schools, daycares and the like, and adopting and expanding new treatments like weight loss drugs. For a while, it was the bariatric surgery. I know so many people who've had it. And it's worked for the most part, for them, like overwhelmingly, it's worked for them. Now it's Ozempic and the other related type injectables are said to be an absolute game changer when it comes to obesity. Basically, and putting into really fundamental terms, the makers of Ozempic have said people can not know when they're full – not all people, but there are a lot of people who don't know when they're full. Their bodies have no trigger switch that says, oh, that's enough, stop. With the injection, they take the injection and they have something to eat and their body says that's enough, we've got enough nutrition to get us through, and so you know when to stop. Which sounds amazingly easy. And if that is all it is, yay, it will make a huge difference. I mean, obviously following the the logic that David Seymour applied to Pharmac, if you can get people onto Ozempic or similar, a weight drug that regulates metabolism and regulates appetite that has got to be better in the long run than paying all of the health bills further down the track. I would love to hear from those of you who have thought about weight, struggled with weight, done something about weight. It occupies far too much of our time, but it is a very, very real problem. I mean, look at the figures. Obesity has overtaken smoking as the leading cause of death and disability in this country. We need to do something about it. What do we do? LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Climate change is fuelling a significant increase in insurance premiums, with experts wondering who should cover the costs. There's been an elevation in insurance costs for at-risk properties following worsening floods and natural disasters - and a new analysis suggests we'll soon need a better public backstop. WSP Fellow and Helen Clark Foundation deputy director Kali Mercier says some people's insurance costs have doubled over the last year - and many people are feeling the pinch. "Consumer New Zealand surveys have shown it's one of the top three economic concerns in families at the moment, insurance prices. So it's already a problem." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Tonight on The Panel, Wallace Chapman and panellists Georgie Stylianou and Allan Blackman talk a new report that shows NZ workers were twice as likely to die from a workplace incident than workers in Australia. They also look at recommendations from the Helen Clark Foundation to combat the risk of political corruption in New Zealand.

The Helen Clark Foundation is calling for tougher rules against corruption after a report outlined the levels of transparency in the Government.  The report's author, Philippa Yasbek, says Kiwis should be reassessing the level of threat corruption has in New Zealand to avoid the need for a "too little, too late" reaction.  Political commentator Dr Bryce Edwards joins Tim Beveridge on The Weekend Collective to discuss the report.  LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Concerns are being raised around a Cabinet Minister's ability to leave Parliament and become a lobbyist. A new report by the Helen Clark Foundation is calling for tougher rules around political lobbying and donations to improve trust and confidence in political decision-making. Former Attorney-General Chris Finlayson says he believes there should be a stand-down period. "The idea that you finish up in Parliament on Friday and start lobbying on Monday is unacceptable, and I think most people would acknowledge that." LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Helen Clark Foundation have teamed up with engineering company WSP to release a major new report into our infrastructure deficit. 

A new report is emphasizing the importance of community engagement in dealing with climate change. The report from the Helen Clark Foundation and engineering consultants WSP says involving communities in adaptation efforts is just as important as finding the right engineering solutions. Author of the report Kali Mercier spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

By Susan Strongman: Retired and living alone in Hamilton, Mum ticks a lot of the boxes that put her at risk of loneliness.

Loneliness is a health issue that must be addressed urgently say the former director and deputy director of The Helen Clark Foundation, Kathy Errington and Dr Holly Walker. They speak to Jesse about their book. 

Dr. Hinemoa Elder (Ngāti Kurī, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri and Ngāpuhi) is a Māori child and adolescent psychiatrist and fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists. She works at Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland and deputy psychiatry member of the NZ Mental Health Review Tribunal. She became a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to Māori and to Psychiatry in 2019.  Dr. Elder has written two best selling books – Aroha and Wawata and joins us today to kōrero about her journey today. She has a PhD in Public Health (2012)  in which she developed tools for Māori whānau (extended families) with Traumatic Brain Injury and was also the recipient of a Health Research Council of NZ Eru Pomare Post Doctoral Fellowship. The approaches she developed are used in rehabilitation in the community. She continues to work in TBI and dementia research. She received the MNZM for services to Māori and to Psychiatry in 2019. She is an invited member of the Busara Circle, a group of senior international women leaders which forms a critical support for the Homeward Bound project, a global leadership programme for women in science, of which she is an alumni, travelling to Antarctica with the project in 2019. Dr Elder is a Board member of The Helen Clark Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan public policy think tank which generates public policy research and debate. She is a board member of the RANZCP Foundation. Dr Elder is the Patron of 'Share my Super” a charity aimed at ending child poverty in NZ. Dr Elder has written two best seeling books published by Penguin Random House. “Aroha. Māori wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet', was named on the Oprah Winfrey Book club in 2021.  ‘Wawata. Daily wisdom guided by Hina the Māori moon, is currently the number one best selling non-fiction book in NZ. Dr Elder is also regularly invited to give keynote presentations. She was an invited speaker to the Rhodes Healthcare Forum, Oxford University in 2019. Hinemoa has a background in theatre and dance. She performed in a NZ play at the Edinburgh Festival, Assembly Rooms in 1986. She is a past Chair of Auckland Theatre Company Trust and the inaugural Chair of Te Taumata a Iwi The Arts Foundation. Hinemoa also worked in NZ childrens' television in the early 1990s.In this episode, we discuss her journey from television presenting to medicine, her own experiences in the medical system with her māmā, her journey into psychiatry,  and the numerous non-profit organisations and her involvement - including Busara Circle, The Helen Clark Foundation, and Share my Super. We talk about looking after ourselves as doctors, but also the importance of seeing the bigger picture and public health involvement. We brush on topics of intersectional feminism and evidence-based practice, and how we can do more to empower our own medical wāhine. We discuss her passion for theatre performance and her multiple accolades in the creative world.Support the showAs always, if you have any feedback or queries, or if you would like to get in touch with the speaker, feel free to get in touch at doctornos@pm.me. Audio credit:Bliss by Luke Bergs https://soundcloud.com/bergscloudCreative Commons — Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported — CC BY-SA 3.0Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/33DJFs9Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/e9aXhBQDT9Y

CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by all of his Government's statements and actions? HELEN WHITE to the Minister of Housing: What recent progress has the Government made to boost public housing in Auckland? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Revenue: Does she agree with the Minister of Finance's statement that he was "too definitive" when, prior to the election, he ruled out changes to the bright-line test, and will the Government's subsequent changes to the bright-line test result in some New Zealanders paying a capital gains tax on their family home? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does he stand by his response "Yes, I do" to my question yesterday asking if he stood by "the factually incorrect statement he made to Newshub on Saturday 'The idea that you'd make a joke about blowing up an ethnic minority is something that isn't really that funny' ", and does he consider his own statements that the Ministry for Pacific Peoples' expenditure "isn't acceptable" to be criticising an ethnic minority? Dr ANAE NERU LEAVASA to the Minister of Health: What announcement has she recently made regarding improving the mental health of New Zealanders? Hon MARK MITCHELL to the Minister of Police: Does she stand by her statement, "It is my view that New Zealanders feel safer"; if so, why? STEPH LEWIS to the Minister of Agriculture: What has the Government done to support New Zealand's farmers and growers? TAMA POTAKA to the Associate Minister of Housing (Maori Housing): Does he stand by all his statements and actions in relation to Maori housing? ARENA WILLIAMS to the Minister of Police: What actions have Police taken to crack down on retail and organised crime? BROOKE van VELDEN to the Minister of Health: Is it acceptable that as of July this year there have been 3,361 cases of staff being physically assaulted in Te Whatu Ora facilities, and is it acceptable that this is only 98 fewer assaults than the 3,459 physical assaults that occurred in the whole of 2022? Hon EUGENIE SAGE to the Minister of Local Government: Has he seen the recent report from the Helen Clark Foundation on sponge cities and, if so, has he sought advice about encouraging water-sensitive urban design and sponge cities as part of the three waters reforms? ANNA LORCK to the Minister of Commerce and Consumer Affairs: What benefits have New Zealanders gained from the Financial Markets (Conduct of Institutions) Amendment Act 2022?

A new report is urging the conversion of urban areas into sponge cities to help mitigate the effects of extreme rainfall caused by climate change. The report, commissioned by the Helen Clark Foundation and engineering company, WSP New Zealand, promotes spongy techniques such as open waterways which aren't concreted over, with plantings and diversions enabling the absorption, storage and slow release of the water into the environment - mimicking natural hydrological processes. International evidence shows the concept is one of the best things cities can do to minimise future flood risk and indeed, some parts of Auckland have already proved it works. Author of the report and Deputy Director of the Helen Clark Foundation Kali Mercier spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Spongier cities are needed to cope with increasingly extreme weather. A report by the Helen Clark Foundation and environmental consultancy WSP New Zealand highlights a series of actions cities can take to help mitigate future flooding. Report author Kali Mercier told Mike Hosking that Auckland is making efforts, but there is plenty more the rest of New Zealand can do. She says that putting trees alongside streets, green roofs on high rise buildings, and bringing concreted over streams to the surface can have a huge impact on reducing flooding risk. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A new report is pushing for a national forum to look into how urban design techniques can help create safer cities. The Helen Clark Foundation paper said concerns over crime means people limit their use of the streets, and opt for cars rather than public transport, It said building safe spaces for people from all walks of life is crucial, with a million more set to live in Aotearoa's cities by 2050. Acting WSP Fellow, Anne Cunningham, spoke to Tova O'Brien on Wednesday morning and gave some examples of what can be done in urban design to make a space safer.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It appears advocates of legalising cannabis in this country are still smarting over having lost that referendum. This was a referendum we shouldn't have even been having in the first place when you look at all the other things needing sorting in this country. Decriminalizing weed shouldn't be top of the priority list. The fact it ever was, and that millions were spent on a referendum on it, speaks volumes about this Government and where it sees value.  Kids in poverty, people sleeping cars, mental health, housing, health and education would be good starting points for a government who promised a lot on that and have delivered nothing. My bad, sorry, they have delivered something on that – worse stats in every single category. But back to weed. Not content with having lost that debate, they're now looking at decriminalizing meth.  This insane idea comes from none other than the Helen Clark Foundation. They want a health based approach to everything, seemingly ignoring the fact our health system is in crisis, and sending all the meth addicts there probably isn't going to help anyone. Again, before anything becomes a health approach we surely should be looking at nurses (getting some), resources (getting some of those too) and actually having a few GPs available in more areas than just central cities. But that aside, not only does the Helen Clark Foundation want meth fully decriminalized, but any hard drugs in small quantities. They also want addicts given places where they're given the drugs in controlled circumstances.  This is if rehab – two goes at rehab, hasn't worked. So to be clear, if you're peddling or imbibing meth or other hard drugs, the Foundation wants it to be legal, and wants clinics to have some meth dished up to you if rehab didn't work. When Helen Clark's crowd put out this report, the Health Minister, instead of saying, ‘look Helen, not sure what you've been smoking but dream on' and throwing the report in the bin, said he'll look into it. Andrew Little wants to look at this idea, while in the same breath acknowledging that there's no appetite in NZ for decriminalization of drugs given the referendum result. But this Government clearly knows better than us, so despite the fact we didn't want weed shops on every street corner, and we probably don't want meth clinics around the place peddling meth to users out in the community either, they'll still look at it because they know best. Little said the Government's focused on efforts to support addiction recovery and funding addiction recovery programs like the one for gang members on meth. And they're ‘willing to take bold steps' to ‘develop this further and expand it'.  He was reported saying that the Government's poured ‘a lot of resources into health responses for drugs over the past five years' .. with ‘a lot more money going in'. Is that reassuring to you as a taxpayer? Does that sound like a Health Minister with his priorities in the right place? Call me crazy, but I reckon we could start with some nurses, some GPs, some rural healthcare, some midwives and some decent ED resources.. rather than handing out more money to meth addicts at this point.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Helen Clark Foundation and the Drug Foundation say a health based meth addiction scheme is working well to reduce harm. It's called Te Ara Oranga, and it's a trial programme for meth addiction. It's currently just in Northland and Murapara - and now there are calls for it to be rolled out nationwide. Ian Mckenzie, General Manager of mental and health and addiction services at Te Whatu Ora Northland says the community partnership aspect is important to the purpose of the organisation. “You can't think of drug use and substance misuse in isolation. You are a part of a community, and you become very connected, and if it permeates through, it's really hard for people to get away from it. I think having a community on board is just fundamental, critical.” LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you found out that your son or daughter, or grandson or granddaughter, or your wife or your husband, or partner - anyone close to you - was addicted to P or methamphetamine, would you want them treated as a criminal or would you want them treated for their addiction?  I'm willing to bet you'd want them treated for their addiction. You may have even been in this situation already with someone you love. I haven't, thank goodness. But you may have. But then what if you were the victim of a crime committed by a meth addict? Had your house broken into and precious things stolen, or been viciously assaulted or lost someone close to you in a car crash because some P-head was off their nut and still thought it was a good idea to get behind the wheel. Chances are, if you were in this situation - and, again, you may very well have been in this situation yourself - I'm picking you'd want the person with the P addiction treated as a criminal because their behaviour may have changed your life forever. And, understandably, you probably wouldn't give a damn about them and their issues and addictions. You'd just want revenge. There are, of course, exceptional cases where people find compassion they never knew they had. But if we narrow it down to two distinct responses, if you had someone close to you hooked on P - most likely you'd want them to get help. And a stranger on P who creates havoc in your life - most likely you'd want them locked up and the key thrown away.  It's a double-edge sword, especially when we consider the recommendations from the Helen Clark Foundation and the New Zealand Drug Foundation, which have looked into the meth problem in New Zealand. Their conclusion is simple - the war on drugs has failed, and they say it's time to stop making P users criminals because it doesn't do anything to get them off the drug and it only puts them on track for a lifetime of crime. Which makes perfect sense if we look at it from the perspective of someone who feels they're losing someone close to them because they're in the downward spiral of methamphetamine addiction. Of course I wouldn't want to see someone close to me locked away. I'd want them to get help. And one of the things the Helen Clark Foundation and the Drug Foundation are recommending, is that we help P addicts the same way we've helped people hooked on heroin for a long time here in New Zealand. And what they're talking about there is the methadone programme. You probably don't even blink an eye these days when you see former heroin addicts lining up to get their methadone, which they get to replace the heroin. In fact, most of us when we see these people probably admire them for doing something to get their lives back on track. I certainly do. So why wouldn't we do the same things for P addicts? It's a no-brainer, as far as I'm concerned. The challenge, though, is while we might like this sort of thing for P addicts we want to help. What about the ones we don't instinctively want to help?  The ones we don't know from a bar of soap who have only come into our lives because they're hooked on this awful drug and they only care about themselves - and getting their next hit - and they don't give a damn about anyone else. They certainly don't give a damn about you or me. Until we can get ourselves to the point of caring enough for all P addicts, not just the ones who might happen to be in our family or friends of ours, then I don't see this idea of the Helen Clark Foundation and the Drug Foundation going anywhere. Not making P addicts criminals and, instead, helping them get treated for their addiction sounds like a great idea when you haven't been at the receiving end. When you haven't had your house done over by a P addict desperate for anything that might help them buy more of the stuff. When you haven't lost someone who was perfectly innocent but who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and came a cropper because their path crossed with someone off their head on methamphetamine. And this is the tension that comes with approaches like the ones being suggested by the Helen Clark Foundation and the Drug Foundation. They're saying the war on drugs has failed and instead of condemning P users, we need to care about them. But are we ready to do that? Are you ready to do that?  Personally, I'm torn on this one. Because, of course, we should be helping anyone who's hooked on this awful, awful drug. But then the people hooked on it can become awful, awful people too - and giving a damn about them doesn't come easy does it? So I'm ready to care - but there also still have to be consequences. Yes, treat the addiction but don't give someone a licence to do whatever they want and get away with it just because they're hooked on P.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

New Zealand's tough-on-crime approach to meth has failed. That's according to a new report from The Helen Clark Foundation and the Drug Foundation, which says we should take a health-based approach instead. The report says Te Ara Oranga, a trial programme for meth addiction run in Northland, should be rolled out nationwide. The executive director of the New Zealand Drug Foundation, Sarah Helm, spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Former Prime Minister Helen Clark is calling for a complete rethink of how we approach methamphetamine use - not only decriminalisation of the drug but also exploring substitution treatment programmes. And where a meth substitute doesn't work, prescribed methamphetamine should be trialled. The goal is to reduce harm, not expect perfect abstinence from all meth addicts. Lead author of the joint report between the Helen Clark Foundation and the Drug Foundation Philippa Yasbek told Tova on Monday morning that the proposed trial is not just for methamphetamine. "We're also proposing a trial of other stimulants, such as methylphenidate, which was Ritalin, amphetamines and possibly methamphetamine if those don't work," said Yasbek.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The NZ Drug Foundation has called for a thorough overhaul of Aotearoa's approach to the treatment of Methamphetamine, following a new report which showed that existing policies were failing the community and causing significant harm. This recent report, Minimising the Harms from Methamphetamine, jointly commissioned by the NZ Drug Foundation and the Helen Clark Foundation, takes an in-depth look at how methamphetamine is impacting Aotearoa and proposes a various of new health-based solutions backed by local and international evidence. Joe spoke to Sarah Helm, the NZ Drug Foundation's Executive Director, on the matter.

Patchy, punitive and failing New Zealand's communities. That's how a new report commissioned by the Helen Clark Foundation and Drug Foundation has described the current approach to reducing meth harm. It proposes switching the focus from punitive action to a health-based approach - expanding access to holistic treatment, health-checks and information. Report lead author Philippa Yasbek says they also recommend a pilot to test a stimulate substitute treatment for people who have tried all other avenues. She says in Canada and Switzerland, psycho-stimulants can be prescribed for people with addiction issues. LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Questions to Ministers BARBARA EDMONDS to the Minister of Finance: What recent reports has he seen on the New Zealand economy? CHRISTOPHER LUXON to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by all of her Government's statements and actions? TERISA NGOBI to the Minister for Disability Issues: What recent announcements has she made on New Zealand Sign Language? DEBBIE NGAREWA-PACKER to the Minister of Social Development and Employment: Does she stand by the Prime Minister's statement, "Absolutely - I wouldn't dispute that for a moment" in response to Fairer Future, who said that "people on a benefit should be able to participate fully in society", and what specific new initiatives, if any, have been agreed to reduce poverty among beneficiary whanau? NICOLA WILLIS to the Minister of Finance: Does he agree with Westpac Senior Economist Satish Ranchhod, who said this week that "over the coming year household spending levels will come under pressure from continued increases in the cost of living"; if so, why won't he provide New Zealanders with income tax relief? INGRID LEARY to the Minister of Foreign Affairs: What recent announcements has she made about the Government's ongoing response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine? ERICA STANFORD to the Associate Minister of Education: Does she stand by the press release issued by her predecessor in February 2020 titled "School attendance has to improve"; if so, is she satisfied with her Government's progress in tackling truancy so far? SHANAN HALBERT to the Associate Minister of Housing (Maori Housing): How is the Government partnering with iwi Maori to deliver new homes for whanau? DAVID SEYMOUR to the Prime Minister: Does she stand by her Government's statements and policies? RACHEL BOYACK to the Minister for Emergency Management: How is the Government supporting grassroots emergency resilience initiatives? MATT DOOCEY to the Minister of Health: Why have solitary confinement rates increased in mental health inpatient facilities despite the $1.9 billion announced for mental health, and what is his response to the Chief Ombudsman, who said about his recent mental health reports, "the Ministry of Health needs to answer to you and the public as to what it's done with the taxpayers' money"? JAN LOGIE to the Minister for ACC: How does she respond to the findings of the Helen Clark Foundation report on perinatal mental health, which calls on the Government to expand cover for mental injury under the Accident Compensation (Maternal Birth Injury and Other Matters) Amendment Bill so that support is available for mental injuries resulting from a traumatic birth?

The government is being told it must improve public transport before introducing congestion fees. A new report, called Te Ara Matatika, from the Helen Clark Foundation delivers a list of recommendations to make the fees fair and equitable across the country. It is expected the Emissions Reduction Plan, to be released on 16 May, will include a charge for motorists passing through busy routes at peak times. Helen Clark Foundation research fellow and the author of the report Tom James spoke to Corin Dann.

The Government's expected to announce next week that congestion charging in Auckland could be introduced in 2025.A report by the Helen Clark Foundation's looked at the equity impacts of congestion charging, and is recommending the charges be brought in fairly.There was talk in 2020 that Aucklanders could pay $3.50 to go in and out of the CBD during peak times.Report author and WSP Fellow Tom James says congestion charging appears to be inevitable.He says without it, achieving the country's climate goals is extremely unlikely.The report says the equity impacts of a Wellington congestion charge are less clear, as there needs to be more research.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is expected to announce next week that a congestion charge is on the cards for Auckland's CBD in 2025.A Helen Clark Foundation report has found such a charge could cut congestion by 12 percent, but researchers say the process needs to be brought in fairly.The Infrastructure Commission released its first long-term strategy at the start of the month. They believe we need to ease congestion in our cities and make use of tools like congestion charging to make better use of transport connections.Te Waihanga NZ Infrastructure Commission General Manager of Strategy Geoff Cooper joined Kerre Woodham.LISTEN ABOVESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Government is expected to announce next week that a congestion charge is on the cards for Auckland's CBD in 2025.A Helen Clark Foundation report has found such a charge could cut congestion by 12 percent, but researchers say the process needs to be brought in fairly.The Infrastructure Commission released its first long-term strategy at the start of the month. They believe we need to ease congestion in our cities and make use of tools like congestion charging to make better use of transport connections.Te Waihanga NZ Infrastructure Commission General Manager of Strategy Geoff Cooper joined Kerre Woodham.LISTEN ABOVE 

A Friday backdown on Three Waters but is it too late to gain public trust?  Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta joins us live. Research from the Helen Clark Foundation reveals shocking mental health statistics for pregnant women in New Zealand, the report's author and former Green MP Holly Walker joins us live.  Then, Head of Maternal and Infant Mental Health at Counties Manukau DHB Tanya Wright on what health experts at the coal face are experiencing.  Newshub's Australia Correspondent Emma Cropper joins us live from Sydney to unpack rising tensions in the build up to election day across the Tasman.     Then dissecting the news of the week on our panel: former National parliamentary staffer and current PR consultant Ben Thomas and Executive Producer of The Hui - Annabelle Lee-Mather Then Digital Editor Finn Hogan on who's up and who's down online and what the world's richest man buying the world's most divisive social media platform means for New Zealand. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Every year, New Zealanders drive 35 billion kilometres by car – the equivalent of Earth to Mars and back 325 times. Māori and Pasifika miss out far more than other groups on visiting GPs because of lack of transport. Transport accounts for 43% of New Zealand's carbon dioxide emissions, and more than half of these come from private vehicles. This country's transport system has problems. Finding solutions to them was the task of Te Ara Matatika, or The Fair Path, a https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhelenclark.foundation%2Fpublications-and-media%2Fte-ara-matatika-the-fair-path%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cselina.spain%40gorilla-voice.com%7C60356d3cf8a449eb372408d9e6af7613%7Cd491e7b1409e43a0aaa60cdf3a4e1eb1%7C1%7C1%7C637794463756758723%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=nBTjei1E5uyHv1RAJFv%2BrYsG%2BP5u5cKHoo5rJ4L0g9k%3D&reserved=0 (report) released in November by https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhelenclark.foundation%2F&data=04%7C01%7Cselina.spain%40gorilla-voice.com%7C60356d3cf8a449eb372408d9e6af7613%7Cd491e7b1409e43a0aaa60cdf3a4e1eb1%7C1%7C1%7C637794463756758723%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=z%2FIR8zB6MeF9Sx%2BX846fx46xgRxAep%2BI9GJboyfuiSU%3D&reserved=0 (the Helen Clark Foundation) and consultancy https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsp.com%2Fen-NZ&data=04%7C01%7Cselina.spain%40gorilla-voice.com%7C60356d3cf8a449eb372408d9e6af7613%7Cd491e7b1409e43a0aaa60cdf3a4e1eb1%7C1%7C1%7C637794463756914786%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C2000&sdata=uHi0Fc915AvhtdV%2FPR%2FJWC3m4P9o7BSc0IuodkuulMo%3D&reserved=0 (WSP). We asked author Holly Walker to explain how we can transition to an equitable and low-carbon transport system.

New figures show we might be plugging the brain drain.A report from the Helen Clark Foundation revealed the first net gain of New Zealanders in 20 years.The pandemic saw fewer Kiwis leaving the country and more returning home.Economic consultancy group Infometrics says the reversal is mostly based on people not wanting to leave.Principal Economist Brad Olsen told Kate Hawkesby it may not last long.“24 percent of people through MIQ who were surveyed said ‘look if Covid conditions get better across the world, I'm outta here again.”LISTEN ABOVE

New Zealand's much discussed brain drain has turned into a 'brain-gain' - at least for now, according to new research published by the Helen Clark Foundation. According to the 44-page work's author, Holly Walker, the country has just notched up a net gain of more than 16,000 returning Kiwis over the past year. That would be the first such increase in more than 20 years. She spoke to Susie Ferguson.

Workbridge CEO Jonathan Mosen speaks with Holly Walker, Deputy Director of the Helen Clark Foundation about their latest report, "Still Alone Together".   The new report draws upon new statistics, and highlights the disproportionate loneliness felt by disabled people in Aotearoa New Zealand. The report also looks at how loneliness changed as the nation came out of Level 4 lockdown, and the progress made against the recommendations made in the Foundation's original paper on loneliness. Jonathan Mosen contributed to this paper on how being employed not only brings dignity and economic independence, but also lessens loneliness.   The report is available in a variety of formats from The Helen Clark Foundation's website.  

I'm sure the Helen Clark Foundation and the NZIER mean well with their calls for a big minimum wage boost. They say the fallout from Covid - the lack of skilled migrants coming into the country; the cheap money that's gushing from the money fountain in Wellington - means that we're in a unique position to build a more inclusive economy that shares the gains. NZIER deputy chief executive Todd Krebble says the impact of the Covid has not been felt equally - young people, women, people in particular sectors like tourism and hospitality, Maori and Pasifika are all doing it far tougher than the rest of the population. So he's calling for a shift to “predistribution” – backing people from the outset with good wages and investment in them, rather than the current benefit system of redistribution to those who fell behind. He also says that with money never having been cheaper, this is a brilliant time to invest in capital equipment and upskilling staff. He told Mike Hosking that increasing theIs it really that simple, though?  Pay people more and they'll work harder?  Invest in more modern plant equipment and you'll make more stuff that you can sell for more profit that you can then reinvest in your people?I'm not a business owner but I remember an old boss of mine saying he loved it when people had kids and got mortgages.  It made them terrified and very grateful to have their jobs, he said. Which brings us back to housing affordability.  At the moment all roads lead to housing affordability.  If people have houses they are more settled.  They're more invested in their jobs and their communities.  I don't think it is as simple as pay them more, you'll get more out of them. I do believe in retraining and helping people who are economic casualties of Covid into new jobs.  But is that the responsibility of business?  Surely that's a government responsibility. Anyway, as I say I'm not a business owner, and Todd Krebble hasn't been either according to his CV.  Undoubtedly a very clever man but seems to have only worked in government departments and UN institutions.  Every single small and medium business owner I've heard ring this show understands the importance of looking after their staff.Many of them during those particularly difficult times in lockdown were more worried about their employees then they were about themselves.Every single one of them cares about their staff, and I find it hard to believe, given the attitudes I've heard, that they'd be paying them any worse than they thought they could get away with. They are investing in their people

A $300 million boost for emergency housing aims to get people out of motels.A thousand new transitional houses will be ready by the end of the year as part of the government initiative.Housing Minister Megan Woods says those who do stay in motels for more than a week will have to pay 25 percent for it.Also making news today, a call to introduce a capital gains tax and limit how much money wealthy people can borrow has been labelled 'nonsense'.The latest Helen Clark Foundation report recommended the new restrictions, in a move to drive down house prices.It states the decades-long property investment boom has created windfall gains for property owners, the real estate sector and banks at the expense of people's basic need for shelter.Kerre McIvor shares her thoughts on the two issues.LISTEN ABOVE