Pay equity shock to have unintended consequences

Hospice NZ & Barnados warn gutting pay equity law risks higher hospital costs & staffing exits; Ministers making fast-track calls, despite conflicts; Mitchell capitulates on 500 more Police target

Briefly in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate and poverty on Monday, May 12:

• The gutting of pay equity laws may force hospices to close, pushing extra patients and extra cost into hospitals, the sector says at the start of Hospice Awareness Week. Barnados’ CEO says the law change will hit staffing levels. See quote of the day below.

• Ministers are still making decisions on fast-track projects, despite receiving donations, Farah Hancock reports this morning for RNZ.

• Moving to shift debate on from last week’s pay equity shock, the Government is pushing fully for a social media ban on under-16s and is toughening punishments for boy racers.

• Mark Mitchell has finally admitted Police won’t be able to hire an extra 500 officers by the end of this year, as promised before the election.

• Britain has announced tougher skilled visa requirements to try to reduce immigration numbers as the anti-migration Reform Party surges in the polls.

(This is a news summary email and podcast I do for paid subscribers. There is more detail and analysis below the paywall fold and in the podcast above)

The big six this morning