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Marae opens doors to homeless.
I applaud the Apumoana Marae committee for opening their doors and their hearts to those currently in need of temporary housing in our community. I am sure that the people of the marae will not discriminate between Maori and non-Maori – homelessness is homelessness whichever way you look at it.
However in my view the National led Government have a lot to answer for. The recent reshuffle of Cabinet has seen the position of the Housing Minister disestablished. The shifting of a once (individual) ministerial responsibility to that of a (collective) local government responsibility essentially removes Central Government from any accountability around this contentious issue. Does this shift mean that the National led Government has finally acknowledged the fact that our country has a housing crisis?
The National Government backed the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) and quickly made changes to our legislation to align with the TPPA. This legislation included the Local Government Act 2002 Amendment Bill which many believed would be the death of local democracy. I believe the TPPA is a tool to usurp our sovereignty. While many think this agreement is now dead in the water, I say watch this space.
National has delegated more responsibility to Local Government while looking to diminish their decision making roles. If we continue to support this current National led Government then eventually our local councils will be powerless when it comes to representing the people who put them there. We need to support those who put people first before profit.
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LIVE Q&A: Financial well-being with Cat Rikihana
Today (Wednesday) we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with Cat Rikihana who is a financial mentor, educator and financial capability practitioner at Financial Freedom Trust in the Manawatū.
Cat Rikihana (Ngai Tahu) like many financial mentors around Aotearoa, works with individuals, groups and whānau to successfully navigate financial stress and hardship. Mentors work alongside whānau to increase confidence and skills in personal money management and advocate with and for clients. Cat enjoys delivering online and face-to-face workshops which provide opportunities to normalise money conversations and encourages people to make time to consider their financial well-being.
Cat is also an independent financial well-being coach, educator and indigenous life coach at Restore Wellness Network. She is a published writer and currently in the process of writing her first non-fiction book: 'A financial self-care guide for women in Aotearoa.'
She'd love to answer any questions you may have around your budgeting and spending habits, strategies for saving, retirement planning and debt. (Don't be shy, but be mindful about what you disclose!)
↓ Share your questions now and Cat will reply to your comment below ↓
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Can you outsmart your neighbours with this riddle?
The more you take away from me, the larger I become. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed? No worries! Simply head here and click once on the Following button.
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Poll: When shopping at Beds4U website, do you prefer in-store pickup or home delivery?
Delivery Preferences:
When shopping at Beds4U website, do you prefer in-store pickup or home delivery?
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0% In-store pickup, I like to see the product first!
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78.6% Home delivery, for convenience.
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21.4% Depends on the situation :)