From major infrastructure projects and unlocking the country’s natural resources to the disappearance of banking services in regional communities and the future of marine protection, New Zealand First Minister Shane Jones is at the centre of some of Aotearoa’s biggest economic and environmental debates. Jones, the Minister for Regional Development, Resources and Oceans and Fisheries,…

Thousands more young New Zealanders could leave secondary school without a formal qualification under the Government’s proposed replacement for NCEA, according to newly released Ministry of Education modelling, raising serious concerns about the future of educational achievement and equity across Aotearoa. The findings have intensified debate over the Government’s plans to overhaul secondary school qualifications,…

New Zealand’s nursing workforce is facing a growing contradiction, with concerns about directives to reduce nurse training emerging at the same time hospitals, general practices and community healthcare providers are struggling to meet increasing patient demand. Tracey Morgan, Chair of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation’s College of Primary Health Care Nurses and a member of…

From protecting Aotearoa’s marine environment to the rising cost of housing for kaumātua and the future of Māori-Crown relations, Minister Tama Potaka is facing questions about how government policy is affecting Māori communities and whether current approaches are delivering meaningful outcomes for whānau. Tama Potaka, Minister for Māori Development, Conservation, Māori Crown Relations: Te Arawhiti…