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Taxation Policy Debate – Salute to Salvation Army’s Spotlight on Tax

Source: Better taxes for a Better Future

A spotlight on inequality and a bold challenge to improve Aotearoa’s tax system is a welcome call to action from The Salvation Army, says the Better taxes for a Better Future campaign.

The Salvation Army today released the first of its ‘Pressing Issues for Our People’ briefing series ahead of the 2023 General Election –  with one of the first three issues being the unfairness of Aotearoa’s tax system.

“We agree that Aotearoa’s tax system is not fit for purpose – that purpose being to help alleviate the tax impact on the least well-off in our society,” says Better taxes for a Better Future spokesperson Glenn Barclay.

“The Salvation Army also rightly points out that a sufficient tax system would ensure the government has enough revenue so that everyone, especially the least well-off, can access affordable healthcare, education and housing.”

Glenn Barclay agreed that tax is a pressing issue this election year.

“There’s no time to kick the can down the road on tax – these issues need addressing now.”

The Salvation Army paper highlights the fact that wealth is very unequally shared in Aotearoa – the wealthiest 10% of the population control half of all wealth, while the poorest half of the population own less than 10 percent of all wealth.

The briefing paper also points out that a group of just over 300 of the wealthiest New Zealanders, who on average earn $8 million per year, paid less than 10 percent of their annual income in tax.

That is less than the rate paid by the lowest income earners (10.5%) – many of the people that The Salvation Army helps daily.

Alongside The Salvation Army and 20 other organisations, the Better taxes for a Better Future campaign is calling for a tax system that:

raises more revenue to enable us to address the social, economic and environmental challenges we face.
ensures people who have more to contribute make that contribution: that we gather more revenue from wealth, gains from wealth, all forms of income, and corporates.
makes greater use of fair taxes to promote good health and environmental health.
addresses the tax impact on the least well-off in our society.
is fully transparent, for example, by requiring the disclosure of information on ownership and beneficiaries of entities such as trusts.

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Housing News – CPAG analysis of affordable rentals shows supply isn’t keeping up with population growth

Source: Child Poverty Action Group

The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) is calling for better monitoring of housing stock, particularly private rentals, as new research reveals the overall stock of available affordable rental housing declined over the past five years relative to population growth.
Rental supply is rarely monitored; governments typically focus on house supply for sale, sometimes demand (household growth) and its relation to prices.
In the first study of its kind in New Zealand, this series of papers provides new analysis of rental housing affordability and availability to provide a more complete picture of today’s private rental market.
This evidence suggests the share of affordable private rental housing shrunk by between 1 percent and 5 percent between 2018 and 2023; whereas population grew by 8 percent.
CPAG says the research highlights the need to increase public rentals.
The research for CPAG has been carried out by Greg Waite, a former policy analyst with the Queensland Department of Public Works, now residing in Northland who warns: “Without big changes, future generations will be much worse off as unaffordable renting replaces affordable home ownership for more young families and more retirees.”
Unlike current research, where affordability is measured by rents less than 30 percent of a household’s income, the new research looks in detail at whether a household’s income is sufficient to cover costs.
In response to unaffordable housing, we have seen ongoing adaption in the rise of shared housing, the increasing hours worked by primary carers of children, the decline in the number of children per family, and the rise in intergenerational housing and childcare assistance, he added.
“Rising rents and falling home ownership signal that we need to do more than just adapt to market trends,” Mr Waite said.
“The ongoing failure to deliver affordable private rental makes a strong case to focus new spending on longer term solutions such as social housing, incentives to build new affordable housing, and shared equity rental, rather than short term rent subsidies.”
While the first objective of these benchmarks is to monitor whether the share of affordable rental is rising or falling, they can also be used to define targeted incentives for construction of low-cost homes by private, partnered or non-profit organisations.
At present, Aotearoa New Zealand is last in the OECD’s rental affordability rankings and our population is growing faster than our supply of affordable rental homes.
This is felt hardest by lower income families where six out of every seven households receiving a benefit in 2021 could not afford their rented homes and a basic standard of living.
In June 2021, singles and couples receiving the Jobseeker benefit faced the largest weekly income shortfall at 37 percent and 36 percent of income respectively, with couple parents on the Jobseeker Benefit close behind with a weekly shortfall of 33 percent.
These households need large increases in support payments ($157, $240 and $323 respectively) to afford the basic standard of living recommended by the 2019 Welfare Expert Advisory Group, whose 42 recommendations to overhaul the welfare system have largely been ignored by the government.
CPAG’s research found that the national stock of private rental homes grew by six percent but the total affordable stock at the benefit, low income and median income benchmarks changed by -3.5 percent, 1.4 percent and 1.6 percent. Population growth across the same period was 8 percent.
To create enough new affordable rental homes to make a difference, we will need an expanded public debate and a new commitment to state funding and partnerships with communities and iwi.
“Our current market-driven policies are steadily moving us towards a more difficult future where more and more families will be forced to adjust to unaffordable renting throughout their working lives and into retirement,” he said.
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Health Legislation – Hāpai Te Hauora Says “It’s About Time” – Community Participation Bill Passes Third Reading

Source: Hapai Te Hauora

Hapori will have a greater say about how alcohol is sold within their communities, as the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Bill passes its third reading. Māori Public Health experts at Hāpai Te Hauora acknowledge the passing of this legislation. 
But, it falls short of the comprehensive, system-wide change needed to ensure whānau and hapori are protected from alcohol harm.
“The passing of this legislation represents a step in the right direction, but it is clear that the government has chosen a path that feels like the easy way out. The comprehensive, system-wide reforms needed to protect whānau and hapori from alcohol harm should have encompassed more thorough considerations. By not including measures to address issues like the pervasion of alcohol advertising in sports arenas and sports sponsorship, the government may have missed a vital opportunity to create a stronger public health response to alcohol-related harm in Aotearoa,” says Jason Alexander, Hāpai Te Hauora Interim CEO.
This bill will usher in several changes including:
  • Allowing any person or group to object to a license application, with a narrow exception for trade competitors.
  • Extending the timeframe for objecting, to give people more time to prepare evidence.
  • Removing the ability for parties to appeal provisional local alcohol policies.
  • Removing the ability to cross-examine at alcohol licensing hearings.
Tara Dymus, General Manager of Māori Public Health, says that while the intention of the bill is to ensure hapori working to reduce alcohol harm within their neighborhoods and wider communities aren’t legally disadvantaged when participating in the system, she is cautious about how these changes will play out in practice.
“The legislation is only as good as the system’s ability to regulate and enforce it. It’s not only the system that needs to change, but key players within it; they need to get comfortable with being called out,” says Dymus.
On a lighter note, Dymus says wins like this are a testament to the persistence of whānau, hapori, and sector partners in fighting the battle against alcohol and the associated harm.
“The passage of this bill is a testament to the relentless advocacy of our communities. It’s a step forward, but the real political challenge lies ahead. We expect, and will hold, the government accountable to take bolder actions to stem the tide of alcohol harm, particularly within our most vulnerable communities,” says Dymus.
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Health and Politics – Alcohol bill step in right direction to reduce harm

Source: Health Coalition Aotearoa

Health Coalition Aotearoa (HCA) commends the Government’s passing of the Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Community Participation) Amendment Bill yesterday. While there is still much more to be done to reduce alcohol harm in this country, this is a step in the right direction.
The bill will facilitate better engagement by local communities in Local Alcohol Policies (LAPs) to stem the torrent of health, social and criminal outcomes from alcohol.
“For too long people have had no way to make their communities healthier by reducing the number of cheap alcohol outlets which are swamping many disadvantaged neighbourhoods,” HCA co-chair Professor Boyd Swinburn said.
LAPs were intended to give more control to communities over alcohol availability, to reduce immense harm from drinking as successive governments failed to implement wider, protective measures.
But the government that passed the current alcohol legislation handed control over the LAP process to the alcohol industry via the appeal process, enabling those who profit from alcohol harm to stall or stop their development.
“It was virtually impossible for Councils to adopt the Local Alcohol Policy that they had developed with their communities because of the need to fight appeals from the alcohol industry,” HCA Rōpū Apārangi Waipiro (Alcohol expert panel) member Professor Jennie Connor said.
“Now that avenue has been closed and Local Alcohol Policies will be able to reflect the needs of the people affected.”
HCA celebrates the long-awaited correction to an unfair LAP process but says much more is needed to reduce alcohol harm.
Dr Karen Wright, Rōpū Apaarangi Waipiro co-chair points out that: “125 submissions on the Bill raised concern about the absence of Te Tiriti in alcohol legislation. It is critical for Te Tiriti o Waitangi to be embedded in alcohol legislation, not just in its objectives but in all its processes, to ensure that legislation provides appropriate authority and protection for Māori whānau, hapū, iwi and hapori.”
Connor identifies that ” we need to act to reduce the affordability of alcohol and alcohol marketing which also push up the level of consumption in Aotearoa as recommended by the World Health Organisation.”
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Human Rights – Mid-winter swims in Auckland, New Plymouth and Christchurch in solidarity with Gaza’s children

Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

PSNA is supporting this international Swim with Gaza action tomorrow, Saturday 26th August.

Supporters in Auckland, New Plymouth and Christchurch will be out swimming or paddling their feet in the cold – hopefully not freezing – water of winter while Gaza’s children cool off in the summer heat.

The purpose of this event is to show support and solidarity with Gaza’s children and demonstrate to them that people around the globe have not forgotten them and the people of Palestine as they suffer in the world’s largest open-air prison.

Western governments, New Zealand included, always look the other way to the brutal oppression of Palestinians under Israel’s apartheid policies against Palestinians.

As it was in the fight against apartheid in South Africa, it is left to ordinary New Zealanders to stand up and be counted with Palestinians on behalf of this country.

Details of the three events are here:

Auckland: 2pm at Mission Bay Beach – watch out for Palestinian flags. Facebook event is here.  https://www.facebook.com/events/997104458099565/

New Plymouth: 2pm East End Beach near the bridge. Facebook event is here https://www.facebook.com/events/639018741659356/

Christchurch: 2pm Sumner Beach by the clocktower. Facebook event is here. https://www.facebook.com/events/202604622792953/

John Minto

National Chair

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa

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Local News – Hutt City Council announces new neighbourhood hub for Moerā

Source: Hutt City Council

The Moerā community has a brand-new resilient and sustainable Neighbourhood Hub to look forward to from early 2024.
The current Moerā library building has issues with watertightness and needs significant repairs. Due to the state of the current building, Council decided to rebuild it, rather than proceed with repairs.
Designs for the new building are being developed based on feedback from the Moerā community and their desire for a building that is flexible, inclusive and welcoming, while also connecting to the surrounding community facilities. Having collated these needs via consultation, a new building which offers longevity, resilience and a flexible, larger, open plan design is more sustainable cost-effective option than renovating the existing building.
Deputy Mayor, Tui Lewis is excited about the new building and the potential for it to bring the community together.
“We are investing in high-quality infrastructure that supports and meets the needs of our people today, while also being resilient to future challenges.” says Deputy Mayor Tui Lewis.
“Facilities like this provide a place for people to connect and empowers neighbourhoods and communities to thrive.”
Joann Ransom, Head of Neighbourhood Hubs & Library Services at Hutt City Council, says she envisages the new building will offer “better connections between people and council spaces, encouraging everyone to feel welcome and comfortable”.
There is also consideration to refresh the wider Moerā Reserve where the hub sits, including the public toilets.
Access to services including the library and public computers will continue to be provided in the area at a temporary location while work on the new facility is underway.
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Health News – Empowering Communities to control alcohol in their neighbourhoods

Source: Alcohol Healthwatch

The Sale and Supply of Alcohol (Community Participation) Amendment Bill is one small step away from becoming law with the passing of its third reading in Parliament yesterday under urgency.
Alcohol Healthwatch Acting Executive Director Rebecca Williams says it was a huge relief to see the Bill progress.
“It has been a long time coming and another hard fought battle. We, alongside our community and sector stakeholders, commend the Government for ensuring the Bill’s safe passage through Parliament.”
Williams says that removing the appeal provisions of Local Alcohol Policies is central to the changes. This along with the other changes will help to level the playing field for decision-making on alcohol in local communities.
“Currently the law is not delivering on its aim to minimise alcohol-related harm, or its intent to give communities a greater say on when and where alcohol can be sold in their community. Instead, those with vested interests and deep pockets have been using the appeal provisions in the current legislation to stymie attempts by local councils to respond to community requests for better controls on the sale and promotion of alcohol in their neighbourhoods.”
Williams says that communities who are attempting to reduce the burden of alcohol-related harm are grossly disadvantaged by the current legal framework. The changes will go a long way towards finding a better balance.
While these law changes are welcomed, Williams says there is still some way to go. “Our sector is united in the importance of achieving further law changes, including embedding Te Tiriti o Waitangi into alcohol legislation, realising alcohol advertising-free environments, and reducing the affordability of alcohol.” 
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University News – Financial watchdog appoints academic for second term – UoA

Source: University of Auckland

Greenwashing, climate-related disclosures, conduct and cybersecurity in the financial sector are just some of the issues the Financial Markets Authority is currently focusing on, says University of Auckland Professor Prasanna Gai.

Professor Gai, who was first appointed to the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) Board in 2018, has been reappointed until 2028, underscoring the importance of economic expertise in navigating the challenges of a rapidly changing financial landscape.

A key dimension of the financial watchdog’s evolving journey is its shift from focusing on efficient markets to ensuring the broader financial sector is trusted and fair. This extends to regulating the conduct of banks, insurance companies, and financial advisors.

Gai’s expertise as an economist is contributing to developing conduct regulation, which will help ensure consumers are treated equitably, elevating the authority’s role to active participation in shaping market behaviours.

Unlike more straightforward targets like inflation, defining and ensuring ‘good conduct’ presents a nuanced challenge, he says.

“We’re looking into framing what we mean by fairness, what we mean by good outcomes for customers, conveying that to the market and developing a set of instruments to ensure these expectations are met. It’s not solely a case of prosecution – we’re thinking about the best ways to affect good conduct.

“Good conduct is about ensuring positive customer outcomes, that firms are acting in the customers’ best interests, and that there’s enduring care for the customer over the lifetime of the product provided. Making those expectations clear will be our challenge over the next few years.”

Reflecting on international developments, Gai says the Hain Royal Commission in Australia, which unearthed troubling practices within the banking sector, including the sale of insurance to dead people, has driven the FMA and other regulatory bodies to intensify their oversight, further emphasising the need for robust frameworks and guidelines.

The FMA is also extending its purview to monitor climate-related disclosures in the financial sector.

Gai stresses the importance of transparency in the sector, ensuring that firms provide accurate information to investors, and preventing greenwashing and other misleading practices.

“When financial firms, banks or asset managers are engaged in ethical and social investing, we have to be very conscious of that. In financial markets, some participants are tempted to engage in greenwashing – essentially, having a portfolio that they assure people is green, but which in fact includes shares in, for example, Saudi oil. The customer doesn’t necessarily know and innocently thinks that what they’re investing in is ethical. So, monitoring that is a very big mandate for the FMA.”

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Health News – Surgeons of all stripes meet in Te Whanganui-a-Tara to discuss the future of healthcare

Source: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ (RACS)

Robots, technology, health reforms and surgical leadership; it’s all up for discussion in Te Whanganui-a-Tara Wellington on 31 August and 1 September as surgeons from across nine specialties meet to explore the future of surgical care in Aotearoa.

The Royal Australasian College of Surgeons’ (RACS) annual surgeons’ meeting – taking place at Te Papa and online – offers a programme featuring leaders of the contemporary health landscape, including surgeons and other clinicians, as well as government health bosses, and public health and policy academics.

Speakers include the Director-General of Health, Dr Diana Sarfati, Te Whatu Ora CEO Margie Apa and Te Aka Whai Ora’s Riana Manuel.

Also presenting will be Dr Victoria Atkinson, Chief Medical Officer of Australia’s only national private hospital operation Healthscope; Dr Maxine Ronald, a general surgeon who last month became the first woman to be awarded the RACS Māori Health Medal; and Dr Curtis Walker, a practising nephrologist and Chair of Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa – Medical Council of New Zealand. Health Minister Ayesha Verrall is expected to visit on the first day of the conference.

Dr Chris Adams, a Wellington plastic surgeon and one of the conveners of Surgery 2023: Surgical care in health system change, says the event is a unique opportunity for collaboration.

“It’s not often you get so many thought leaders together in one space. At a time when the Aotearoa health system is navigating a period of unprecedented challenge and change, Surgery 2023 is a chance for education, reflection and knowledge sharing. We’re looking forward to some thought-provoking sessions and lively discussions.

The delegates are surgeons working across nine surgical specialties on the front lines of Aotearoa’s health system. We expect our speakers may learn as much from them as the other way around.”

Dr Nigel Willis, orthopaedic surgeon and co-convener of Surgery 2023, says the event is as much social as it is educational.

“As surgeons, we often get siloed in our various specialties and yet we have a lot in common and share similar challenges and opportunities. To gather with surgeons from across the spectrum of RACS’ specialties and from around the motu gives us a chance to explore our shared perspectives and think about how together we can pave the way for improved surgical care for our communities.”

Cardiothoracic surgeon and co-convener Professor Sean Galvin says that with the election looming and growing scrutiny of the health reforms, the theme of the conference – surgical care in health system change – is prescient.

“You don’t need to be a surgeon to get something out of this event. There is something for everyone involved in New Zealand’s health system.”

As well as speaker sessions there will be panel discussions, a supplier exhibition, a welcome reception and dinner, and presentations from the finalists of the Louis Barnett Prize for advanced surgical academic research.

Find the programme and speaker bios: https://bit.ly/Surgery2023Handbook

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Surveys – APAC Public Sector Chief Data Officers Struggle to Balance Innovation and Governance

Source: Sandpiper for Qlik

New Qlik research shows public sector organisations value data, but governance and compliance are taking over as the primary objectives and responsibilities of data leaders.

  • New independent research commissioned by Qlik shows majority of data executives across Australia, India and Singapore now report through a security, risk, or compliance channel.
  • Public sector organisations often allocate more resources to governance than innovation capabilities.
  • Rising appreciation for the expanding roles of Chief Data Officers (CDOs), but this level of appreciation does not extend across organisations.

Auckland – August 24, 2023 – Public sector Chief Data Officers in key Asia Pacific markets are currently prioritising governance, security and compliance amid the rapidly evolving regulatory landscape, highlighting a sense of caution and reduced focus on innovation in data analytics, according to new research from Qlik.

A shift in traditional reporting structures is driving this trend, with over half (55%) of data executives now reporting through a security, risk, or compliance channel rather than a technology organisational lead, according to the research, titled “Driving Data in the APAC Public Sector: Balancing Governance and Innovation”. Just 21% of data executives operated under similar reporting channels in 2021. Meanwhile, a third of public sector agencies (33%) also now use a governance title for their senior data executives – more than twice the number (15%) in 2021.

The report also shows how governance has become fundamental to shaping strategy. Many public sector organisations are now allocating more resources to governance than capability, mirroring a default view across the sector that data is a ‘risk to be managed’ rather than an ‘opportunity to be exploited.’ In this climate, CDOs are more likely to possess governance activity capabilities (77%) instead of analytics (63%) or data literacy (57%).

When asked their priorities for the next year, many data leaders ranked strategising, maturity assessments, inventories and governance boards above more innovation-focused initiatives, such as deploying analytics tools, decommissioning old technologies or publishing open datasets.

The research also demonstrates the drive to strengthen compliance practices in recent years. Over 90% of organisations reported having governance frameworks in place in 2023, which marks a significant increase compared to 2021 when only 38% reported having a governance body.

Commissioned by Qlik and conducted independently by Omdia, the study presents the findings of a survey of 326 senior data executives within the public sectors of Australia, India, and Singapore, revealing how the CDO role and business strategies are evolving across government organisations.

Geoff Thomas, Senior Vice President, APAC, Qlik, said the report signals rapid change in data leaders’ roles and responsibilities, and how innovation is now taking a backseat.

“Our study provides valuable insight into the responsibilities and demands faced by CDOs in the public sector today. While CDOs have never been more important, and they play a critical role in the overall infrastructure of the public sector, the research clearly demonstrates how their job is rapidly evolving,” says Thomas.

“Critically, they are increasingly focused on addressing risk rather than seizing on opportunities when it comes to data. To overcome this cautiousness, CDOs need to realise and maximise the return on data and analytics.”

Promisingly, the findings also show rising appreciation for the expanding roles and responsibilities of CDOs in today’s increasingly regulated climate. Around 78% now say they clearly understand the role – including its focus on compliance and governance – and how to deliver against it, compared to only 55% in 2021.

But this level of appreciation does not necessarily extend to entire organisations, according to the research. While over 90% of surveyed public sector organisations reported having a well-defined data strategy with clearly defined roles and objectives, more than half (54%) admitted that their strategy is not widely understood, hindering implementation.

Al Blake, Principal Analyst, Omdia, said CDOs should be promoting the value of data across their businesses to drive service development.

“It is fantastic to see CDOs stepping into an era where their roles are clearly defined, and the value of data and analytics is understood. However, CDOs must ensure this value is understood at the organisational level, and that this translates into service development and strategic delivery. There is still a considerable way to go in terms of integrating the CDO role into the overall organisation, particularly when it comes to striking the balance between governance and innovation,” says Blake.

The report is available for download here. https://pages.qlik.com/rs/049-DKK-796/images/Driving_data_in_the_public_sector.pdf

About the report

“Driving Data in the APAC Public Sector: Balancing Governance and Innovation” was commissioned by Qlik and produced independently by research and consultancy firm Omdia. The report surveyed 326 public sector data executives across Australia, India and Singapore, with all respondents having executive and/or management responsibility for data governance and/or management in their organisation. The research was conducted in May 2023.

About Qlik

Qlik, with the recent addition of Talend, delivers an industry-leading portfolio of solutions for data integration, data quality and analytics. This includes advancements in real-time data, AI, ML and automation. The most successful organizations are investing in data to make sense of the increasing amounts and varieties of data from diverse sources. The challenge is to effectively integrate, analyze and act on the data while ensuring its trustworthiness. With more than 40,000 active customers in over 100 countries, Qlik’s solutions work with virtually any data source, target, architecture or methodology, to ensure customers have the data they need, whenever they need it.