In particular, I would argue that many Maori whanau in Auckland do not enjoy the benefits of this supposed "liveability".

This is important, given Maori comprised 11.5% of the Auckland population in the 2018 Census. Roughly one in four Maori in Aotearoa New Zealand are living in the greater Auckland region.

The survey was conducted by the Economist Intelligence Unit, sister company of The Economist, and looked at 140 world cities. Auckland was ranked 12th in 2019, but took top spot this year for one obvious reason:

Alternative liveability criteria

Each city in the survey was rated on "relative comfort for over 30 qualitative and quantitative factors across five broad categories: stability, healthcare, culture and environment, education and infrastructure".

Overall rankings depended on how those factors were rated on a sliding scale: acceptable, tolerable, uncomfortable, undesirable, intolerable. Quantitative measurements relied on "external data points", but the qualitative ratings were "based on the judgment of our team of expert analysts and in-city contributors".

The methodology, particularly around culture and environment, seems somewhat subjective. It's predicated on the judgement of unnamed experts and contributors, and based on similarly undefined "cultural indicators".

To better understand the living conditions of Maori in Auckland, therefore, we might use more robust "liveability" criteria. The New Zealand Treasury's Living Standards Framework offers a useful model.

This sets out 12 domains of well-being: civic engagement and governance, cultural identity, environment, health, housing, income and consumption, jobs and earnings, knowledge and skills, time use, safety and security, social connections and subjective well-being.

The Maori experience

Applying a small handful of these measures to Maori, we find the following.

Housing: According to recent reports, Auckland house prices increased by about NZ$140,00 on average in the past year. That contributed to Auckland being the fourth-least-affordable housing market, across New Zealand, Singapore, Australia, the US, UK, Ireland, Canada and Hong Kong.

Next to that sobering fact, we can point to estimates that Maori made up more than 40% of the homeless in Auckland in 2019. We can only assume this rapid increase in house prices has made homelessness worse.

Poverty: Alongside housing affordability is the growing concern about poverty in New Zealand, and particularly child poverty. While there has been an overall decline in child poverty, Maori and Pacific poverty rates remain "profoundly disturbing".

Employment: As of March 2021, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment recorded a Maori unemployment rate of 10.8%, well above the national rate (4.9%). This is particularly high for Maori youth (20.4%) and women (12.0%).

Health: Maori life expectancy is considerably lower than for non-Maori, and mortality rates are higher for Maori than non-Maori across nearly all age groups. Maori are also over-represented across a wide range of chronic and infectious diseases, injuries and suicide.

The digital divide: The Digital Government initiative has found Maori and Pasifika are among those less likely to have internet access, thus creating a level of digital poverty that may affect jobs and earnings, knowledge and skills, safety and security, and social connections.

Making Auckland liveable for all

Taken together, these factors show a different and darker picture for far too many Maori than "liveable city" headlines might suggest.

I say this as someone who has lived in Auckland for the majority of the past 60 years. It is a city I love, and I acknowledge the grace and generosity of the mana whenua of Tamaki Makaurau, with whom I share this beautiful whenua and moana.

I am also part of a privileged group of Maori who enjoy job security, a decent income, a secure whanau and strong social networks.

But, until we address and ameliorate the inequities and disadvantages some of our whanau face, we cannot truly celebrate being the "most liveable city in the world".

• Ella Henry Associate Professor, Auckland University of Technology
• First published in The Conversation. Republished with permission.
• Photo by Dan Freeman on Unsplash

The study reports three major areas of concern seriously impacting New Zealand communities, a lack of mental health support, insecure housing and inadequate incomes.

These areas of concern are forcing people to look beyond their own backyard towards their community for support.

The State of our Communities Report paints a dire picture of how community social services are being called on to help a rising number of families and people experiencing severe social strains.

It notes this is the first time many New Zealanders have had to reach out for help following a loss of income.

During the survey, the Salvation Army interviewed 564 residents and conducted 14 interviews with key community leaders from Rotorua, Johnsonville and Queenstown.

The questions focused on mental health, housing, income/employment, under the lenses of the Covid-19 recovery and Election 2020.

All three communities raised major concerns around access to mental health services and are "crying out for a serious effort" to deal with these deficiencies, the State of our Communities Report says.

Locals are consistently reporting increased stress, anxiety and hardship, which are affecting people's mental health.

Existing mental health issues were amplified by job losses, social isolation, lack of income and other social challenges that came with the lockdowns, highlighting the lack of mental health services.

Specific mental health issues for children and youth are also emerging from Covid-19, the survey found.

Housing affordability is the most concerning issue for Johnsonville respondents.

Over a third (38 percent) of the 141 residents interviewed have had their employment impacted due to Covid-19.

Mental health issues, inequities between locals, and challenges for the local refugee and migrant populations were also of concern.

Since Covid-19, the Johnsonville Salvation Army has seen increases in new clients to their social work, counselling and addictions services.

The numbers of addiction assessments completed by existing and new clients spiked between March and June 2020, signifying the challenges people are facing during Covid-19.

Overall, the existing housing problems in each community have magnified since the lockdowns began.

There are stories of homelessness in Rotorua and unaffordable rental or private housing, especially in Queenstown.

The report identifies employment and incomes, housing and mental health services as the most important social issues for the upcoming election 2020.

Source

• Wellington Scoop
• Image: The Salvation Army

The Church's threats come as opponents and supporters of marriage equality stand firm to their view while the countdown to the federal government's postal vote to decide the issue continues.

The Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, says the church's 180,000 employees are expected to uphold Church teachings "totally", and defiance would be treated "very seriously".

"I would be very emphatic that our schools, our parishes exist to teach a Catholic view of marriage," he says.

"Any words or actions which work contrary to that would be viewed very seriously.

"Our teachers, our parish employees are expected totally to uphold the Catholic faith and what we believe about marriage. People have to see in words and in example that our teaching of marriage is underlined."

He also points out that like all other employers, the Church "should be able to ensure its values are upheld by those who choose to work for the organisation."

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, who is the chairman of the Bishops Commission for Catholic Education adds voice to Hart's, saying teachers should be careful about undermining their schools' values if marriage laws are changed.

Parents who send their children to Catholic schools want them educated within a Catholic context, of which marriage is a vital part, Costelloe notes.

Australia's anti-discrimination laws allow churches to hire and fire on the basis of sexual orientation, marital status and other traits.

Last week, the 'Yes' campaign announced Olympic legend Ian Thorpe as the official face of its campaign in favour of changing the Marriage Act.

Source

• The Sydney Morning Herald
• Huffington Post
• Newshub
• Image: Business Insider

In a wide-ranging interview with a journalist from Portuguese radio station Renascença, the Pontiff said he wasn't pointing his finger "at anyone in particular".

"When there is an empty space, people try to fill it," Pope Francis said.

"If a country has no children, immigrants come in and take their place.

"I think of the birth-rate in Italy, Portugal and Spain. I believe it is close to 0 per cent.

"And this not wanting to have children is, partly - and this is my interpretation, which may not be correct -due to a culture of comfort, isn't it?

"In my own family I heard, a few years ago, my Italian cousins saying: ‘Children? No. We prefer to travel on our vacations, or buy a villa, or this and that' . . . .And the elderly are more and more alone."

The Pope said he believed Europe's greatest challenge is to go back to being a "mother Europe" as distinct from "grandmother Europe".

This echoes the speech Francis gave to Strasbourg last November when he described Europe as being "like a grandmother, no longer fertile and vibrant".

In the Renascença interview, the Pope said he had confidence in younger politicians to reclaim Europe's leadership role in the world and resist corruption.

He also expressed concern at the very high youth unemployment rates - approaching 50 per cent in some European nations.

Among the issues discussed at length in the interview was Francis's vision for a Church that risks getting "bruised" by going out to those in need.

He also threw in some humorous remarks.

Francis told the interviewer he goes to Confession about every 15 to 20 days and he joked about his confessor: "I never had to call an ambulance to take him back, in shock over my sins!"

Sources

• Renascença
• The Tablet
• National Catholic Reporter
• Image: Catholic News Agency

Meaningful work for the young worker is the theme of this year

Members of the Transport and Industrial Relations Select Committee considering the Employment Relations Amendment Bill were handed copies of Caritas' Social Justice Week booklet Walk Alongside.

‘We're inviting Church members, and indeed the whole community, to consider ways to accompany young people struggling to find secure and meaningful work,' said Caritas Director Julianne Hickey.

Social Justice week is run annually by the Catholic Church to highlight a topical social justice issue. Continue reading

• Oral Submission
• Written Submission

Summary of written submission:

• The dignity of work and those who work is a core message of Catholic social teaching.
• Workers, direct employers and indirect employers are all called on to achieve the common good in workplaces. This includes fair and just wages and working conditions, and the right and duty to work in solidarity to protect the most vulnerable.
• The Bill does not achieve the Government's stated aim to ensure a ‘balance of fairness' for employers and employees.
• Most changes in the Bill increase the weighting in favour of the more powerful bargaining side. In most cases this will be at the expense of the most vulnerable workers.
• Caritas opposes changes in the Bill which increase the vulnerability of workers.
• In particular we oppose the changes to ‘good faith' bargaining, the 30-day collective agreement provision for new employees, and the Section 6A protection of vulnerable workers.
• We support the extension to employees who can seek flexibility in employment arrangements, but wish to see this strengthened.
• We have concerns about time expectations for Employment Relations Authority determinations, and support the submission of the Employment Court seeking the flexibility to deliver written determinations where appropriate.
• Caritas would like to speak to the Select Committee in support of our submission.