Kerre Woodham: Should we be raising the alarm over drug use?

Remember yesterday when we were talking about the declining rates of hazardous drinking among young people? Good news. And then so many of you positing that it's because they're popping pills and taking other drugs. Bad news. It looks like you might be right.   The 2024 New Zealand Drugs Trend Sur…

Letitia Harding: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation CEO on the increasing number of daily vapers

Pros and cons in the latest NZ Health Survey.  Hazardous drinking rates have fallen from 20.4% in 2019 to 16.6% this year, and daily smoking rates have remained steady.  However, the number of daily vapers has increased from 33,000 to 480,000 over the past eight years.  Daily vaping has also inc…

Kerre Woodham: How would you rank the Police Minister?

The hīkoi we were discussing last week has gone down the country through the weekend, rolls into Wellington City, and should arrive at Parliament around midday. Police say they don't expect any problems, certainly nothing like the descent into chaos we saw at the end of the last demonstration at Pa…

Chris Quin: Foodstuffs North Island CEO on the Commerce Commission's merger decision, grocery prices

Foodstuffs North Island chief executive Chris Quin has confirmed that the company will appeal the decision by the Commerce Commission to block its proposed merger. Speaking on Newstalk ZB this morning, Quin said the company’s advisers had been working their way through ComCom’s reason for the deci…

John MacDonald: Our speeding fines are a joke

If I asked you how many demerit points you have right now, reckon you’d be able to tell me?  If you could, then you’re better than most people. Because, unless you get enough demerits to have your licence suspended, then I think most people don’t care.  And a study out today is telling us that we…

Kerre Woodham: The chaos in Parliament was a reflection of us

Crikey, when I suggested yesterday that it might be a good idea if you've never seen Parliament TV, you could always tune in and see the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill.   Crikey, I expected fireworks but not quite to the level that was on display yesterday. The House was temporarily s…

Kerre Woodham: The burden of parenthood should be shared equally

You have woken up to the news that New Zealand businesses can now take meaningful action to drive down the gender pay gap. You need no longer wait for governments to legislate – the power is in your hands. The launch of an online calculator to help do so was announced yesterday by the Minister for …

Kerre Woodham: If you want to live outside the law, expect your life to be difficult

Police have announced Operation Nickel, a nationwide operation focused on the enforcement of the Gangs Act 2024. What is the Gangs Act 2024? It's the specific piece of legislation that enforces the prohibition of the display of gang Insignia in public places. It provides for the issue of dispersal …

Warren Willmot: BYD New Zealand General Manager on global EV sales

Is the electric vehicle market really dying?   Nissan is axing over 9,000 jobs as sales slump in China and the US and Toyota has said that the California regulations around EVs and emissions are unworkable.  EVs are being discounted by a third in Britain as manufacturers rush to meet their end-of…

Kerre Woodham: How do you recover from abuse in care?

Take a look at your children, or your grandchildren if you have them, when they're at their most delicious – seven, eight, nine-year-olds, full of hopes and dreams, and starting to come into themselves properly. Their character’s forming, you see what they're good at, what they love doing, where th…