-
Westpac becomes accredited living wage employer
Hell must be freezing over. This post is to congratulate Westpac on becoming an accredited living wage employer. What is especially interesting is that it was willing to submit to the certification process of a voluntary organisation comprising of representatives of the trade union movement, community groups and faith based groups. From the Living Wage…
-
West Coast Regional Council wants to be persuaded about climate change
Climate change is, in my personal view, the most important issue that the world is facing. If we do not drastically alter the way we live we will bake the planet. The proof seems to be extraordinarily clear. And each day there are actual events which fit into the scenarios predicted by climate change scientists.…
-
Housing affordability and urban form
Hugh Pavletich of Demographia has released its annual review of housing affordability. The results are not surprising. New Zealand continues to perform poorly on any matrix associated with affordable housing. From Radio New Zealand: The annual Demographia International Housing Affordability shows New Zealand has continued to be one of the most unaffordable countries in the world to buy…
-
The National Anthem in Te Reo
One of the best parts of the job is attending citizenship ceremonies. My job is to preside over the ceremony and to administer the oaths of allegiance. People from many countries and cultures gather together to pledge allegiance to the Queen of New Zealand and become proud kiwis. At the end of the ceremony we…
-
What can we do about climate change – air travel emission offset
Reprinted from the Standard. So it is 2019. We may have a decade left to get on top of the climate change crisis our world is facing. Imagine the year is 2050. The polar ice caps are gone. The centre of the earth is pretty well uninhabitable. There are a couple of billion climate refugees…
Got any book recommendations?