Thanks for the RAT test link, I currently have a stash of now expired ones so need to get in date ones again. One of those "when I get around to it" jobs (speaking of, my grandparents caravan had a "roundtoit," I don't think it worked). We were lucky in that our school was given a lot to provide to whanau, so until recently I just had to ask for some to be sent home with the kids!
I appreciate your list and know it’s your way of trying to make a difference in so many ways - thank you so much for helping and encouraging us to do the same. My daughter who is a 2nd year student in Wellington has just found out they are axing the student fares and so she’s in a big panic as she has to get to Porirua for her class which already costs a lot. She’s beside herself because she’s out on her own for the first time and is just only now seeing what it’s like to try and support oneself. She’s not in the category of people that need assistance it’s just always hard for kids to make that transition! There’s some now some extra hard lessons for her to get her head around so early in her adult journey but she has her parents around to catch her if she really falls. I don’t know how kids do it when they don’t have a similar protective net… it’s such an unequal system 😞
Just love your mahi and thank you. As I lay flat on my back from exhaustion I could do 'things' using auto fill and copy and paste on my phone. Thank you thank you x
Just upgraded to paid as I have been enjoying free reading but this most excellent article reminded me your work is worth supporting 👏 with $$ and as I had just decided to no longer pay for some overseas journalism/podcasts and put my precious $$ to Aotearoa journalism instead, perfect timing!
I had not realised we could make submissions to the Covid Inquiry, so thanks for that link, plus had already signed/supported some of the others you linked to as my wee bit to "what I can do" activity 🤷
Thank you for this - I really don't want to put my fingers in my ears and my head in the sand, but I'm alternating between anger and frustration and despair, and its getting tiring.
I was particularly despondent to learn that the petition regarding the repeal of the smokefree environments legislation, signed by so many health professionals and organisations, was never presented to the farcical select committee that "considered" this amendment/repeal.
I realised that this iteration of government have no intention of looking at any data or evidence. Seems their opinion carries more weight than any research or observation. Which makes me sad and confused.
I'm going to work my way through this list and find something to do about this. Thank you again!
Hi Emily. There is also a 3rd question to answer for the Covid enquiry as outlined on Aotearoa Covid Action site. Q3 is on a separate 'form' to Q1 and Q2 and is a response to the 'expanding scope of the enquiry' as a result of the Govt's coalition agreement.
From ACA website below:
***Question 3 – Covid Inquiry
Question 3: Please give your views on Government plans to change the terms of reference for the Inquiry
And finally – the Government has now asked the Inquiry to consult us all on an expansion of the topics the Inquiry is considering, giving us a list of possible further topics to consider.
You might think this means that the Inquiry isn’t looking at these topics already – but it is! There is almost nothing on the Government’s list that is not already included in the remit for the Inquiry. Asking whether these topics should be included makes people think they have been missed out and risks undermining public confidence in the Inquiry’s rigour and independence.
Covid-minimising and anti-vaccine minorities have loud voices and disproportionate influence on the political agenda right now. Learning how to respond more effectively to Covid and to future pandemics is too important a task to be influenced by short-term political advantage for the Government or any political party.
For the sake of all Kiwis, please add your voice to our call to protect the Inquiry’s independence and its focus on learning from the past to prepare us for the future.
Question 3 is NOT submitted on the same form as Questions 1 and 2. ***
You can copy and paste wording from ACA website from the links below to answer the 3 questions. It takes a bit of clicking around but the info is there to use.
Thank you so much for this. I am privileged enough to not be directly impacted by many of Nationals initiatives and I've really been struggling with feelings of helplessness and outrage and not knowing what to do to advocate for those less fortunate than myself who I know must be suffering terribly under all of these changes. This gave me something practical to do rather than just rant & rave about the government to anyone who will listen! I spent some time over the weekend doing nearly everything on your list. Thank you again <3
Thank you. I have six tabs opened off the back of that to go and action.
Appreciate your mahi Emily xx
Thanks for the RAT test link, I currently have a stash of now expired ones so need to get in date ones again. One of those "when I get around to it" jobs (speaking of, my grandparents caravan had a "roundtoit," I don't think it worked). We were lucky in that our school was given a lot to provide to whanau, so until recently I just had to ask for some to be sent home with the kids!
I appreciate your list and know it’s your way of trying to make a difference in so many ways - thank you so much for helping and encouraging us to do the same. My daughter who is a 2nd year student in Wellington has just found out they are axing the student fares and so she’s in a big panic as she has to get to Porirua for her class which already costs a lot. She’s beside herself because she’s out on her own for the first time and is just only now seeing what it’s like to try and support oneself. She’s not in the category of people that need assistance it’s just always hard for kids to make that transition! There’s some now some extra hard lessons for her to get her head around so early in her adult journey but she has her parents around to catch her if she really falls. I don’t know how kids do it when they don’t have a similar protective net… it’s such an unequal system 😞
Just love your mahi and thank you. As I lay flat on my back from exhaustion I could do 'things' using auto fill and copy and paste on my phone. Thank you thank you x
Just upgraded to paid as I have been enjoying free reading but this most excellent article reminded me your work is worth supporting 👏 with $$ and as I had just decided to no longer pay for some overseas journalism/podcasts and put my precious $$ to Aotearoa journalism instead, perfect timing!
I had not realised we could make submissions to the Covid Inquiry, so thanks for that link, plus had already signed/supported some of the others you linked to as my wee bit to "what I can do" activity 🤷
Thank you for this - I really don't want to put my fingers in my ears and my head in the sand, but I'm alternating between anger and frustration and despair, and its getting tiring.
I was particularly despondent to learn that the petition regarding the repeal of the smokefree environments legislation, signed by so many health professionals and organisations, was never presented to the farcical select committee that "considered" this amendment/repeal.
I realised that this iteration of government have no intention of looking at any data or evidence. Seems their opinion carries more weight than any research or observation. Which makes me sad and confused.
I'm going to work my way through this list and find something to do about this. Thank you again!
Hi Emily. There is also a 3rd question to answer for the Covid enquiry as outlined on Aotearoa Covid Action site. Q3 is on a separate 'form' to Q1 and Q2 and is a response to the 'expanding scope of the enquiry' as a result of the Govt's coalition agreement.
From ACA website below:
***Question 3 – Covid Inquiry
Question 3: Please give your views on Government plans to change the terms of reference for the Inquiry
And finally – the Government has now asked the Inquiry to consult us all on an expansion of the topics the Inquiry is considering, giving us a list of possible further topics to consider.
You might think this means that the Inquiry isn’t looking at these topics already – but it is! There is almost nothing on the Government’s list that is not already included in the remit for the Inquiry. Asking whether these topics should be included makes people think they have been missed out and risks undermining public confidence in the Inquiry’s rigour and independence.
Covid-minimising and anti-vaccine minorities have loud voices and disproportionate influence on the political agenda right now. Learning how to respond more effectively to Covid and to future pandemics is too important a task to be influenced by short-term political advantage for the Government or any political party.
For the sake of all Kiwis, please add your voice to our call to protect the Inquiry’s independence and its focus on learning from the past to prepare us for the future.
Question 3 is NOT submitted on the same form as Questions 1 and 2. ***
You can copy and paste wording from ACA website from the links below to answer the 3 questions. It takes a bit of clicking around but the info is there to use.
https://covidaction.nz/en/covidinquiry
https://covidaction.nz/en/question3covidinquiry
I have saved that hour long video to watch later. Most things aren’t relevant to me because I am in Australia but that’s okay 🫶
Thank you so much for this. I am privileged enough to not be directly impacted by many of Nationals initiatives and I've really been struggling with feelings of helplessness and outrage and not knowing what to do to advocate for those less fortunate than myself who I know must be suffering terribly under all of these changes. This gave me something practical to do rather than just rant & rave about the government to anyone who will listen! I spent some time over the weekend doing nearly everything on your list. Thank you again <3