191 NZers now emigrating each day, including 15 babies & toddlers

The exodus of New Zealanders goes on at a rate of one A320-plane load a day, including 15 babies and toddlers on each plane, every day of the year. Photo: Supplied

Briefly in the news from Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Thursday, May 15:

• Statistics NZ reported yesterday emigration of New Zealand citizens has almost doubled to a record-high 70,016 in the last five years to the end of March, including 5,673 babies and toddlers. See more detail below

• Simeon Brown hid official advice that outsourcing operations was dangerous, expensive and would degrade the public hospital system, RNZ’s Phil Pennington reports. See more in Picks ‘n’ Mixes below.

• The Greens presented an alternative Budget yesterday that would see wealth taxes and higher corporate and personal income tax rates raise an extra $88 billion over the next four years to pay for a range of income guarantee, family payment top-ups, state house building and solar panel grants. See more detail below.

• Statistics NZ reported yesterday retail spending with cards fell 0.9% in April from a year ago, meaning retail spending adjusted for inflation and population fell again and is back at the same levels as those reported in 2013. See more in charts of the day below.

• Kāinga Ora this week sold a state house and a large section in Mt Albert to a single family for 38% below CV after listing it for less than a week, ending its plans to build five homes on the section and two other adjoining sections, which are also listed for sale at substantially below CV for quick sales. See more in number of the day below.

• A pause in routine colonoscopies by Palmerston North Hospital late last year because high demand overwhelmed low staffing levels means 60 patients deemed high risk for bowel cancer have yet to be tested, Isaac Davison reports for NZ Herald-$ this morning. See more in Picks ‘n’ Mixes below.

(There’s more detail and analysis below the paywall fold and in the podcast above. Join us and support this work by subscribing.)

Dozens of working families emigrating daily