The cardinal, president of the English and Welsh bishops' conference, said many people in the UK would be facing the choice between "heating and eating" this winter because of rampant inflation and soaring fuel bills.

Conservative Party members chose Truss (pictured) as party leader on 5 September. She automatically became prime minister without a general election because the Conservatives have a majority in the House of Commons.

In a statement published on 5 September on the Diocese of Westminster website, Nichols urged Truss to give the needs of the poorest people her immediate attention.

"The principle of serving the common good means that the needs of the poorest in society must be given urgent attention," the cardinal said.

"Catholics are present in every local community, seeking to contribute constantly to the support of those in need.

"So we are well aware of the dramatic impact this crisis is having, with many people knowing they face choices between ‘heating or eating', especially as winter approaches.

"The affluence to which our society has become accustomed seems to be seeping away," Nichols said.

The cost of living crisis has been caused by a variety of factors, including damage to the UK economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of the war in Ukraine on fuel bills.

It has meant that inflation has risen by nearly 9% in the 12 months leading to July, according to government data. Further increases are expected in the coming months.

The crisis has led to warnings that many elderly and the poor will no longer be able to pay their mortgages, rent or fuel bills. Some are concerned they may not be able to afford sufficient food to meet their needs.

Cardinal Nichols said Catholic parishes and agencies would do their best to ensure that no one is "cast aside or discounted" in the "firm conviction of the inherent dignity of every person".

"The spiritual needs of the poor and their special gifts should never be forgotten," he added.

Sources

Catholic News Service

Vatican News

Diocese of Westminster

CathNews New Zealand

They say that it is regressive and will hurt Auckland's poor the most.

Transport minister, Phil Twyford, says he wants a fuel excise duty increase of between nine and 12 cents a litre.

Furthermore, Aucklanders would have to pay a council tax on petrol. The combined taxes may cost them an extra 20 cents per litre.

Twyford says he would use the money to pay for improvements to road safety and rapid rail.

But the poor - owners of older, less fuel-efficient cars - will bear the brunt of the petrol tax, critics say.

The Automobile Association (AA) has found the taxes will cost each motorist around $250 a year.

The Salvation Army calls the combined Auckland taxes a double-whammy fuel cost increase.

Lieutenant Colonel Ian Huston heads the charity's social policy and parliamentary unit.

He has "some concerns" about the cost of transport for people on limited budgets.

He says that car-dependent families struggling to meet costs may first cut food spending, then power to defray the increased costs of getting to and from work.

Economist does sums

NZ Initiative economist, Sam Warburton, says petrol excise duty is grossly regressive.

He says the tax will hurt owners of older cars most.

The amount of fuel tax people will pay varies by how much fuel their vehicle uses.

"It's easy to imagine that low-income people have older, less fuel-efficient vehicles and that, with bigger families, Maori and Pacific Island families might more often own vans and bigger cars."

He says the new petrol taxes, combined with existing ones, will cost poor families $1,100 dollars a year. That's more than twice the cost to owners of modern cars.

The further the poor drive, the worse off they'll be, he says.

The government argues that better public transport will help the poor more in the long run.

But Auckland Action Against Poverty (AAAP) says the petrol taxes will hurt the poor the most.

AAAP says the government has hamstrung itself by its unwillingness to introduce progressive taxation or increase Government spending.

Instead, it says the government relies on regressive taxes that do nothing to redistribute wealth in this country.

Source:

• Stuff
• Scoop
• Stuff
• Image: Stuff

In the week before Easter a member's bill which aims to extend paid parental leave in New Zealand from 14 to 26 weeks came up in the ballot.

It is being proposed by Labour's Sue Moroney, and with Peter Dunne's vote there would be enough support in Parliament for it to to be given a first reading.

However Bill English has announced that the Government will make rare use of its power of veto to stop the passing of any legislation that extends the period of paid parental leave. The Prime Minister, John Key, who is in Indonesia, subsequently said the National Party may consider extending paid parental leave at some time in the future.

"Successive Governments have undervalued mothers - and it continues with this decision.

"In reality, this policy would represent about 0.2% of the total Government spending, yet research shows that the role of mothers and the early bonding between mums and babies is vital for healthy child development."

The Families Commission has reversed its earlier support for a full year of paid parental leave, saying the country can probably no longer afford it.

Most bills are government bills. However, members who are not Ministers can introduce their own bills, which are called members' bills.

The House has limited the number of members' bills that can be introduced. Bills are selected by ballot.

When a ballot is to take place, members are notified of the number of new members' bills that can be introduced and are invited to enter bills in the ballot. They have until 10.00 am on the day of the ballot to notify the Clerk of their intention to enter.

Under Parliament's rules, the Government can veto a bill if it is deemed to have more than a minor impact on government finances.

Source

• TVNZ -Family First
• New Zealand Herald - Bill English
• New Zealand Herald -Families Commission
• TVNZ - John Key
• Image: TV3

The Elim Christian Centre, formerly known as the Equip Church, will deliver food packs to needy families in Whangarei rather than organising a Christmas dinner which it did previously.