Inequality
Govt taking different path over shelter for homeless during Omicron spread
There will not be a repeat of the massive push in 2020 to get all homeless people off the streets before the coming Omicron outbreak.
'The shoe's on the other foot' - demand for workers spurs moves for more pay
The low unemployment rate and high inflation is prompting jobseekers to ask for more money from current and prospective employers.
Covid-19: Family doctors gear up to support Māori communities
Family doctors are gearing up to ensure Māori communities are well prepared and supported during an Omicron outbreak.
The Royal New Zealand College of GPs says during earlier Covid-19 outbreaks Māori… Audio
Covid-19: Vaccine gap a problem for Māori
Māori health leaders say something needs to be done to close the vaccine gap for Māori.
Many Māori are ineligible for boosters until March - which is when the Omicron outbreak is forecast to peak.
… Audio
'Diabolical' prices, inflation leaves working professionals out of pocket
The new record inflation figures come as no shock to many, with rising housing, fuel and construction costs putting the pinch on even those with means.
Life more expensive as inflation hits 30-year high
It's official, life is becoming more expensive, with inflation hitting an almost three-decade high.
The annual inflation rate has rocketed to nearly six percent. It is being fuelled by the soaring… Audio
Rising prices exacerbate poverty
Inflation continues to run hot -- with the latest figures from Stats NZ putting the consumer price index at 5.9 percent in the year to December.
To take a closer look at the effects of rising prices… Audio
'Too late': 100,000 Māori can't get booster until March
A Covid-19 Māori health analyst says more than 106,000 vaccinated Māori are not eligible for a booster shot until after 1 March - too late to protect against the expected Omicron surge.
'I hated being different': Top honour for Paralympian and disability advocate
For the first time in the award's 62-year history, a person with a disability has been named Australian of the Year.
Benefit increases going to more than half of families with children - report
Families Package benefits go to more than half of families with children, but housing costs and Covid-19 income disruption have eroded some of the gains, a government report shows.
Anti-poverty group says families package still falling short
The government's touting the success of a families package scheme, saying it helped more than half of all families with children in its first year.
Introduced in 2018, the Families Package boosted… Audio
Cost of new masks will put pressure on those already struggling
The government's newly tightened rules for mask use under the 'red' traffic light setting has advocates concerned it will put added pressure on those already struggling in Aotearoa.
They say for… Audio
Cost of living will lead to hardship, disobedience - advocates
Social service providers are worried soaring living costs will lead to hardship and even civil disobedience.
They say people could be forced to take what they need to live. Petrol, food and house… Audio
Rising cost of living crushing those already struggling - advocate
Social service providers are cautioning rising prices crushing those who are already struggling.
Food prices increased by 4.5 percent in 2021, rents are jacking up and people are expecting petrol to… Audio
Call for more social housing in the face of Omicron outbreak
Omicron highlights the need for more social housing, so families living in overcrowded conditions can self-isolate, a chief executive working in the sector says.
Covid-19: Māori vaccinations lag as Omicron looms
Māori health providers are in a race to vaccinate children and boost adult immunisations before Omicron spreads widely.
Ministry of Health data shows 93 percent of the wider Counties Manukau… Audio
New research fund to focus on inequity in lung cancer treatment, diagnosis
Stark inequities in treatment and survival rates for Māori and Pacific patients diagnosed with NZ's biggest cancer killer are the focus of $6 million in new research funding.
National calls for better mental health services for Asians
The government is being urged to make the mental health of Asian New Zealanders more of a priority, with suspected suicides among Asians more than doubling. Audio
Wealth of 10 richest men 'doubled in pandemic' - Oxfam
The pandemic has made the world's wealthiest far richer but led to more people living in poverty, according to the charity Oxfam.
Police on new rules for officers photographing youth
The Police are assuring the public new tightened rules for officers photographing young people will not lead to more rangatahi Maori being arrested.
They are being commended for the changes, which… Audio
