The Māori Party's co-leaders delivered impassioned maiden speeches in Parliament yesterday, as they pledged to be the “pebble in the shoe” of those holding on to colonial ways.
Rawiri Waititi said he would ensure “our unapologetic Māori voice” is heard at Parliament and referenced Stuff’s recent apology for its racist portrayal of Māori over the years. He asked when the Crown would do the same in owning its failings and committing to do better.
Debbie Ngarewa-Packer, meanwhile, began her speech by calling the past decisions and actions of Parliament "unforgivable".
She claimed former members of Parliament had “sought [Māori] extermination and created legislation to achieve it” but that “fortunately, their one generational plan was outlived by our forever generational resolve”.
The co-leaders’ speeches came a week after they challenged the oath of allegiance MPs take at the beginning of the parliamentary term.
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Calls for patience over vaccine
As the first doses of Pfizer’s Covid vaccine reportedly make their way to the UK this morning, Kiwis are being urged to be patient about New Zealand’s own vaccine rollout plans.
Officials are still awaiting final results from the vaccine’s clinical trials, while logistical issues around its storage continue to be worked through.
Professor Graham Le Gros of the Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa says New Zealand should now observe how well the vaccine does in the UK while it waits.
1 NEWS Europe correspondent Daniel Faitaua says that’s a luxury New Zealand has in contrast to the current “desperate” situation in the UK.
And as pressure goes on in the US to also approve Covid vaccines for the population, top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci says the UK has not been as vigorous in its vaccine approval process. He says US approval will come “very soon”.
Former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton have all volunteered to do their part to encourage Americans to get the vaccine once it is available. They say they’re willing to be vaccinated on camera to promote public confidence in vaccination.
Their pledge comes as the US reports record high Covid infections and hospitalisations.
Heart problems a pandemic side effect?
Meanwhile, there are concerns about other potential health problems brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic.
An Otago University study shows that chronic stress, high blood pressure, being less financially secure and involuntary unemployment are all risk factors for heart disease – and researchers say these factors have all been exacerbated by the pandemic .
Middle aged men are particularly at risk of the possible increase of heart disease, while Māori, Pacific and south Asian peoples are disproportionately affected.
Climate debate rages on
The Government’s declaration of a climate emergency in New Zealand prompted more debate yesterday, as various parties urged the need for action to back up the symbolic gesture.
Greenpeace executive director Russel Norman says the motion is a step in the right direction , “but clearly the next step is action”.
And as RNZ reports, that action is likely to be costly . Westpac chief economist Dominick Stephens says the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 will mean taking a financial hit.
"Economies are complex things and they are good at getting around big issues - as we've seen with Covid - but it's still going to be costly and I think that cost is going to be quite significant," he says.
MPs’ travel also proved a thorny issue in the climate debate yesterday, with the ACT Party calling on politicians to give up their entitlement to unlimited taxpayer-funded domestic flights in a bid to cut carbon emissions. The party argues giving MPs a travel budget with a cap would make them think before they fly.
However, the Green Party’s James Shaw rejected the idea, saying air travel is a “necessary evil”.
And National MP Chris Bishop had carbon emissions on his mind, too, when he took a pop at Labour’s Kieran McAnulty over his infamous “big gas guzzler” ute on TVNZ’s Breakfast yesterday.
Police thank vet staff
Police have praised vet staff following their treatment of the police dog shot in Northland earlier this week.
A photo and video of the recovering police dog were released yesterday, as police detailed the care taken by vets immediately following the shooting and in the days after.
The German shepherd is making good progress but will need several more rounds of surgery, which police dog coordinator Inspector Todd Southall detailed in this interview with Seven Sharp last night.
Other news of note this morning:
- President Donald Trump has continued his baseless claims that he won the US election – but also promised to “see you in four years” when he does leave the White House.
- The Parole Board’s admitted to a serious privacy breach after a board member lost a USB stick on a plane three weeks ago.
- The Government’s latest financial statements released by Treasury show the books are in better shape than expected.
- While new home consents have reached their highest level in 46 years , RNZ reports New Zealand’s social housing waitlist has also hit a record high .
- A Melbourne truck driver has admitted he’s to blame for a horror crash that killed four Victoria Police officers – and claims to have seen a “witch” in the hours before the accident.
- New Zealand has become more self-sufficient with waste management thanks to a major upgrade of Auckland's recycling facility.
- A US family has again broken the record for embryo freezing after welcoming a baby girl 27 years after the embryo was frozen .
- And South Africa's national lottery is under scrutiny after registering the winning numbers of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 .
And finally...
The once ubiquitous perm was the height of cool when I was an ’80s schoolgirl.
The iconic hairdo was sported by Dolly Parton, Whitney Houston, Meg Ryan and one Hilary Barry before it disappeared in the ‘90s, but now it’s ready for its glorious comeback.
Seven Sharp reporter Julian Lee investigates the return of the curl - and puts his own locks on the line for the sake of the story.
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