Latest from Social Issues

Deborah Hill Cone: I'm losing interest with 'cool'

Be cool, writes Deborah Hill Cone. That's all I ever wanted when I was a small-town teenager sending off for my too-big winklepickers from Carnaby St and then stuffing the pointy toes with toilet paper.

Housing NZ cash cow for Govt: Labour

Housing New Zealand considered using an insurance payout for Christchurch earthquake damage to meet an unexpected demand to pay higher dividends to the Government in 2011, official letters disclose.

Germans flock to Hobbit land

Germany has overtaken Japan to become NZ's fifth-biggest source of tourists and the royal visit has increased interest in other key markets.

Tom Hamilton: Simplifying gender agenda will only lead to alienation

The other morning I was grabbing a coffee before work and read Bob McCroskie's opinion piece, and that was the start of a ruined day, writes Tom Hamilton.

Russel Hoban: Gender debate demands compassion

Bob McCoskrie of Family First, writing under the heading "A child's desire to change sex can be a symptom of other disorders that can be treated", clearly positions his stand, but not the issue.

Life is sweet - Kiwis in Oz answer critics

Life is just fine for many Kiwis living in Australia who say they have nothing to moan about after crossing the Tasman in search of a better life.

Lobbying to buy state houses - cheap

Community and iwi groups have asked the Govt to sell them up to a fifth of the country's 69,000 state houses at a discount of up to about half of market values.

Pre-job testing finds few on drugs

Just one in 100 beneficiaries who had pre-employment drug tests under a new government policy showed any sign of drug abuse.

Kiwis still unsure of Asians

Despite nearly a quarter of Aucklanders being Asian, the wider Kiwi community still has an unwillingness to engage with a group it considers to be "exotic other".

Sexual-violence inquiry reveals gaps in services and funding shortfall

John was first referred to sexual violence services aged 12. His mother was schizophrenic and his father, a gang member with a violent history, was in prison.

Editorial: Travel is not a right for those taking welfare

Editorial: The news that at least 21,000 beneficiaries have travelled overseas in the past nine months had a predictable response.

Amy through to pageant finals

A transgender Auckland teen rewrote pageant history early this morning after earning a place in next month's final of the Battle of the Babes.

Deborah Morris-Travers: Giving kids chance to be heard

Gambling fund panel conflicts disclosed

Two of the six panel members who made the shock decision to stop funding the Problem Gambling Foundation had conflicts of interest, a review has found.

Kiwis' freedoms rated world class

Strong personal rights and freedoms have helped to propel NZ into the top rank of the new Social Progress Index.

Travelling beneficiaries' payments cut

More than 21,000 beneficiaries have had their benefits cut for going on unapproved overseas trips in the last nine months.