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Nau mai haere mai.
Tomorrow’s budget – like every budget, but especially in an election year – is an inherently political document. Who gets what, and how much they get, signals a government’s priorities and the bases it wants to shore up ahead of the only poll that matters.
But as Grant Duncan argues, if the preamble to Grant Robertson’s “no frills” budget is anything to go by, we’re headed for an election largely devoid of imagination, innovation or political courage. This is despite the profound challenges the country faces, from skills shortages to climate change.
Not so surprising, perhaps. Since Jacinda Ardern resigned as prime minister, the Labour government has moved swiftly to reframe its agenda as more pragmatic than idealistic. Budget 2023 will simply be the fiscal expression of that new orthodoxy.
It would be a shame, however, if this means progress made on child poverty is slowed or stopped. According to Kate Prickett, various targets set under Ardern-era legislation have been met or even surpassed, albeit not uniformly. “If this or any future budget fails to project any impact on child poverty,” she writes, “those targets risk becoming nothing more than a Treasury spreadsheet exercise.”
Keep an eye out for more responses to the budget on the day and afterwards. Until next week, mā te wā.
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Finlay Macdonald
New Zealand Editor
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Grant Duncan, Massey University
Thursday’s ‘orthodox no-frills budget’ sounds like Labour is switching from Ecostore to Kmart: never mind your wellbeing, this is about Labour’s political survival.
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Kate C. Prickett, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Making further dents in child poverty will mean implementing bold support for those families being left behind. This week’s budget already feels like a lost opportunity.
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Ross Lawrenson, University of Waikato
The 2023 budget is unlikely to do the one thing our health system needs: provide the funding for a new medical school to meet our growing need for locally trained doctors.
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Kim Toffoletti, Deakin University; Holly Thorpe, University of Waikato; Rebecca Olive, RMIT University
While there is more than a decade of research into the negative effects of social media, a new study shows how women are taking control of their own online spaces to create more positive experiences.
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Leon Salter, Massey University; Lisa Vonk, Massey University
The introduction of ‘care apps’ has been sold as improving efficiency and even pay rates for homecare providers. But a new study suggests it may only be exacerbating existing problems in the industry.
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Bain Munro Attwood, Monash University
The story some histories tell about the 1840 agreement between Māori and the British Crown may be popular and even comforting. But they are also incomplete – and even unhelpful.
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Nathalie Wierdak, University of Otago; Lynnaire Sheridan, University of Otago
Educators have expressed concern about ChatGPT but it could be a tool to help stressed and time-poor students.
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Kristopher Nielsen, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Has greater awareness of mental health issues also caused more people to interpret milder forms of distress as something worse? Better understanding of mental health disorder in general might help.
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From our foreign editions
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Justin Ellis, University of Newcastle
The origins of the anti-LGBTQ+ hate feedback loop are complex, but not insurmountable. Not addressing them will leave a growing number of people susceptible to violence.
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Rebecca Bentley, The University of Melbourne; Nicola Willand, RMIT University; Tim Law
Mould is a health hazard and renters are most at risk. Here experts in health, law, building and construction examine the problem of mould in homes and offer guidance for both renters and landlords.
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Kendra Coulter, Western University
People moved by the plight of the animals in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ should channel their emotions into meaningful action for real animals.
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Benjamin Bolden, Queen's University, Ontario
For young people seeking to engage with the world’s most critical challenges, the UN Sustainable Development Goals can serve as an entry point. The arts open up possibilities to take action.
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Konstantin Blyuss, University of Sussex; Yuliya Kyrychko, University of Sussex
We found you can have too much of a good thing - psychological stimulation.
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Nikitta Dede Adjirakor, University of Ghana
Women who shaped modern Ghana have been erased from history. A children’s book aims to restore them to their rightful place.
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Khristopher Carlson, Graduate Institute – Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement (IHEID)
The Sudan army’s superiority is in its air force and arsenal of ground forces while the rival paramilitary force relies on nimble mobile units.
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Jenny Whilde, University of Florida; Jessica Alice Farrell, University of Florida
Environmental DNA provides a wealth of information for conservationists, archaeologists and forensic scientists. But the unintentional pickup of human genetic information raises ethical questions.
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