Latest fromSocial Issues

If you want to talk about being poor... you've got to be rich
Critics say the entry cost of $2295 plus GST for the two-day Child Poverty NZ Summit in October is far too expensive for most frontline workers.

Little support for families hit by suicide - mother
A mother whose son committed suicide says families are often left on their own when dealing with the suicide of a loved one.

Cat dumper under police watch as anger grows
The British woman who was caught on a security camera cruelly dumping a cat in a wheelie bin is now under police protection after being named and shamed by the press.

'Cat dumping' woman found
The British woman who was caught on a security camera cruelly dumping a cat in a wheelie bin has been identified.

Liquor law changes - readers react
There has been mixed reaction to the Government's proposed changes to liquor laws, but most Herald readers say more needs to be done.

The actual cost of childcare
Working NZ families pay 28 per cent of their net income on childcare, according to an OECD study. Dita De Boni examines the costs.

Mum and Dad to decide if young Johnny gets booze
Under-18s wanting to drink at a private party will need their parents' permission and the host will need to police the level of drunkenness.

<i>Rebecca Barry: </i>Digital tsunami drowns life as we know it
Could we be heading towards a future in which technology blurs the line between living and non-living machines?

Alcohol clampdown unfairly targets dairies, owners say
Dairy owners say they should have the same rights as supermarkets when it comes to selling alcohol.

Liquor law changes aimed at youth
A raft of proposed changes to liquor laws are aiming to reduce harm to young people while leaving "responsible NZers" free to make their own decisions about the way they drink.

Liquor reforms like 'treating cancer with aspirin'
An alcohol watchdog says a raft of liquor law changes don't go far enough in curbing NZ's crisis with alcohol.

Murdered toddler's mother tells inquest she trusted boyfriend
Nia Glassie's mother has told a coroner's inquest she saw her boyfriend perform wrestling moves on her baby but trusted he would not hurt her.

De Bres: Bleak outlook for Maori prison rate
Continuing discrimination against Asians needs to be addressed and the high rate of Maori imprisonment is bleak, Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres says.

<i>Paula Bennett</i>: Why you should care about child abuse
The Minister for Social Development and Employment says New Zealand's neglected children are a silent timebomb.

Key confirms parental consent law change
People will not be allowed to supply other people's kids with alcohol in a private home without consent under liquor law changes to be announced today.

Will the alcohol law changes have an effect on NZ drinking culture?
Read what others think about the Govt's liquor law reforms and tell us what you think.

<i>Jenna Raeburn: </i>Drinking age hike discriminatory
A raise in the drinking age would be ineffective and counterproductive, and discriminate unfairly against young people.