Recycling Electronic Waste - A Smart Move

Children are becoming increasingly aware of the need to recycle and reduce energy use. e-Day 2008 is an initiative to promote the recycling of e-waste. Old mobile phones, PCs, adaptors are too often ending up at NZ landfills. e-Day has been organised to give kiwis the opportunity to bring in their old mobile phones and PCs, to clean house (and garage) and to do it in a way that is gentler on the planet.

The Minister for the Environment, Trevor Mallard MP, this week launched e-Day in Wellington with e-Day Chair Lawrence Zwimpfer and around 35-40 other guests in attendance. More information about e-Day can be found at www.eday.org.nz

Why not make it a family event, tidy up the unused e-waste and teach the kids about care for the environment?

Tax Cuts Boost Economic Growth in South Africa

Infometrics - a leading economics consultancy in Wellington - have prepared an article (http://www.infometrics.co.nz/article.asp?id=4449) comparing tax rates and economic growth in South Africa and New Zealand. In particular it highlighted the rising living standards in South Africa - especially for the poor.

"The ANC have cut personal tax rates in almost every budget since taking power in 1994. The majority of tax relief has been handed to low and middle income earners."

"A strong economy (which brings healthy government revenue) coupled with a redirection of expenditure to the poor has been the backbone of the ANC’s strategy to achieve ‘A better life for all’. Growing government revenue has enabled them to build 2 million new houses, bring piped water to 17 million people, sanitation to 7 million and implement a social welfare system which is the envy of the developing world. The percentage of the population living in poverty dropped from 41% in 2000 to 32% in 2006. The growth momentum will ensure that further gains in poverty alleviation will be achieved in the future."

Climate change: costs and benefits

If anyone hasn't noticed the climate is changing. Parents, as much as anyone, should be concerned about it. It will be tempting to try to ignore the problem. But it won't go away. It means we will have to change the way we produce energy. It also means we will need to reduce our level of energy consumption. Here's a perspective on Climate Change that you don't hear too much these days.
No Right Turn: Climate change: costs and benefits

Strong Support For Income Splitting

New Zealanders from all walks of life have given an overwhelmingly positive response to the idea of Income Splitting. Over 205 written submissions were received by Inland Revenue, 90% of which supported the proposal and only 7% opposed it.

Seventy percent of submitters said income splitting should be optional and income should be split on a 50/50 basis.

United Future Leader, Peter Dunne, said "UnitedFuture has long championed income splitting as an option for families who want to be able to have one parent stay at home and carry out the vital duties of raising children and strengthening families.
This level and tone of response shows that New Zealanders also support income splitting."

Parents Choice '08 believes that Income Splitting provides greater flexibility to parents and enables parents to determine work and child care arrangements.

Carter Responds To ParentsChoice'08

The Minister of Education, Hon Chris Carter, has responded to concerns about funding for Playcentre. Playcentre receives disproportionately low funding compared to "professional" early childhood services. However, increasing compliance and administration is taking up increasing amounts of time for Playcentre parent volunteers. Parents Choice believes that parent-led Early Childhood Education (ECE) should be valued at least as much as those providers who earn a living or make a business out of early childhood education services.

The response provided by the Minister is as follows:

"Different types of services are funded at different levels because they have different operating costs...Kindergartens have high proportions of registered teachers, usually 100% and therefore can access the higher funding rates."

"Families who use teacher-led services face high fees, which can be a barrier to their children's participation in ECE. Higher funding rates for teacher-led services aim to reduce this cost barrier for parents. In Playcentres parents provide a high level of voluntary input. Higher subsidies for Playcentres would not necessarily increase participation. I can assure you government continues to support the work of Playcentre."

First we appreciate that Mr Carter replied to our concerns. We also accept that the government wishes to encourage participation in ECE. however, in our view parents who volunteer their time to look after their own children should not be discriminated against, in the allocation of government funding.

Parents As Partners - Valuing Parenthood

Parents As Partners is a Waikato-based lobby group that has been leading the charge for better recognition of parenting for many years. When the time comes for congratulations to be passed around when Income Splitting is finally enacted then a huge congrats would be owed to Christine of Hamilton. She has been a tireless worker for the right of parents to be treated as equal partners in parenting.

Her group Parents As Partners aims to enable parents to "establish a partnership for the support of their family;

that we as parents are workers, and that our work is vitally important for the well-being of our society and the economy.

the value of "mother or father-in-the-home". In the context of a recognised partnership they would achieve economic visibility.

the right of parents to share their income for tax purposes by means of the partnership.

that the tasks of income earning and care giving are of equal importance for the family, and that the parents should be free to divide those tasks between them as they see fit, without economic constraints on one or other choice."

Parents Choice '08 wishes the team at Parents As Partners every success in the movement towards greater recognition of parenting. Check out their website at: www.parentsaspartners.org.nz

Brainwaves Trust - A Pioneer in Societal health

Every now and then you find an organisation of unsung heroes who bravely battle on to promote an idea. Recently the work of the Brainwaves Trust has been drawn to my attention. The Aim of the Brainwaves Trust is that:

"One day every child in New Zealand will get the best start in life because parents and the whole community understand and value the impact early experiences have on brain development, and ultimately on the healthy development of society."

Formally the group is a charitable trust which has the goal of raising awareness about new research on brain development. In particular the influence on a child's brain development of early experiences in the first three years of life. The Trust itself is comprised of doctors, educationalists, academic and business professionals who all work voluntarily. If you have a few spare minutes as you navigate the net drop into www.brainwaves.org.nz

If a healthy society is made up of healthy individuals and communities then Brainwaves could be pioneering the way forwards to good societal health. The implications for public policy and child development are significant.