Page 27 - Dom Thomas News Today : Breaking News, Live Updates & Top Stories | Vimarsana

He Puapua report bogged down in 'swamp of politics' Meriana Johnsen © RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Editor’s note: The opinions in this article are the author’s, as published by our content partner, and do not represent the views of Microsoft News or Microsoft. Power Play - It was supposed to chart a new way forward but He Puapua, a report on how the government can uphold tangata whenua rights by giving affect to tino rangatiratanga, has become bogged down in the swamp of politics. New Zealand was one of four countries that voted against adopting the United Nations Declaration...

Pay freeze hits public servants but not contractors Phil Pennington © Provided by Radio New Zealand State Services Commissioner Peter Hughes Public servants' pay is being frozen for three years, but not the rates the sector pays to thousands of contractors and consultants. A freeze directive the Public Service Commission issued earlier this week does not mention contractors, who can seek an increase every two years if it is "reasonable and justified". By contrast, public servants on more than $60,000 must now prove "exceptional circumstances" to get a rise. Those on more th...

Six months after Napier flood, some evacuees are still cleaning up the mess Tom Kitchin © RNZ / Dom Thomas It will be six months this weekend since a one in 250-year flood wreaked havoc in Napier. While some have returned to home and work, many are still facing hurdles. © Provided by Radio New Zealand The corner of Nuffield Ave and Balance Pl in Marewa after floods hit the Napier suburb in November, compared to a normal day Some people are living at home while their houses are still in states of disrepair, others are working from flood-damaged buildings, still waiting fo...

Finance minister defends 8000 fewer jobs in shovel-ready projects © RNZ / Dom Thomas A regional mayor says the government's forecast of 20,000 new jobs through its multibillion-dollar shovel-ready projects scheme always seemed too good to be true. Before last year's election, the government announced it would pump $2.6 billion into more than 150 shovel-ready projects to create jobs to kickstart the country's Covid-19 rebuild. Pre-election, Finance Minister Grant Robertson touted a forecast that 20,000 jobs would result from the package. But, in response to written parliamentary questions by...

Davis on Oranga Tamariki report: 'Status quo cannot continue' © RNZ / Dom Thomas One of the key findings in the Waitangi Tribunal’s investigation into Oranga Tamariki has found the Crown “guilty of direct and sustained breaches of Māori Treaty rights”. It condemns the state's harmful intrusion into the lives of whānau Māori and policy that has been dominated by efforts to assimilate Māori to Pākehā ways while praising the resilience of individual Māori and whānau in the face of systemic racism and deprivation. The Waitangi Tribunal has urged the Crown to step back and allow ...