PDF Files of February 1, 2020 Issue

16
FEBRUARY 1, 2020
Communitylink
Funding boost for creative, cultural events launched
Applications open from
February 3 to 28, 2020
Venkat Raman
The government has created
a new avenue for funding
creative and cultural events.
Called, ‘Major Events
Fund,’ the initiative will recognise
and reward events that highlight
New Zealand’s diverse culture and
build national pride.
The Fund will provide about $1.5
million until June 2022 for creative
events that meet the set criteria. The
focus will be on Maori and Pasifika
arts and culture.
Economic Development Minister
Phil Twyford said that ‘Creative and
Cultural Events Incubator’ will be
open to applicants from Monday,
February 3, 2020 to Friday, February
28, 2020.
Economic Development Minister Phil Twyford
(INL File Photo)
“Creative and cultural events
have historically received less support
than sports under the Major
Events Fund. We recognise creative
and cultural events often have a
different path to success, which
is why we have established the
Incubator to support this growth
and development,” he said.
Image from Ministry for Culture and Heritage Website
Celebrating Culture and Diversity
Mr Twyford said that the
Incubator will accord priority to
events that celebrate our culture
and diversity, and have a vision to
be major events of international
significance.
“This is a tremendous opportunity
for new and existing arts
and cultural events to develop
and flourish. New Zealand is well
known for hosting world-class
sporting events; now it is time to
focus energy on our creativity and
culture, continuing to grow its
appeal for our communities and
international visitors,” he said.
About Major Events Fund
Established within the Ministry of
Business, Innovation and Employment
(MBIE), Major Events acts as
an advisor to government ministers
on aligning events to government
objectives. It also acts as the link
between the events sector and the
operational and leverage arms of
the government, as an investor in
events to achieve outcomes that
align with government priorities
and partners with other event
Family Carers get $2200 pay rise as scheme expands
Staff Reporter
Associate Health Minister
Jenny Salesa announced
today an annual average
pay rise of $2246.40 for
funded family carers, in addition to
expanding the Scheme to include
spouses and parents of young
children with ‘high or very high
needs.’
Announcing the details, she
said, “The details of big changes to
Funded Family Care (FFC) include
(a) higher rates for qualified family
carers (b) expanded eligibility of
the Scheme to include spouses and
parents of young children with
high or very-high needs and (c)
removing the requirement for an
employment relationship between
family members if the concerned
families did not want it.”
Ms Salesa said that caring for
family members such as a spouse
or child is one of the most valuable
contributions anyone can make in
our society, especially when that
work requires giving up things like
paid employment.
“Our Government has listened to
the concerns of family carers about
the limits of the current scheme
and we have committed to making
it fairer,” she said.
About the Scheme
Funded Family Care is for eligible
people with high and very-high
needs relating to disability provided
by the Ministry of Health (through
the Disability Support Service) or
District Health Boards (DHBs). It
is also for clients with disability
Associate Health Minister Jenny Salesa (INL File Photo)
(Ministry) or long term chronic
health condition, mental health
and addiction, and aged care needs
(DHBs).
Family carers under District
Health Board policies are currently
employed by providers, and hence
already receive pay rates consistent
with the wider care and support
workforce as a result of the pay
equity settlement.
Changes to Funded Family Care
eligibility apply to both Ministry of
Health and DHB policies.
Minimum wage calculations are
based on April 1, 2020 minimum
wage of $18.90.
Key Reforms
Ms Salesa said that the government
will (a) enable eligible spouses
and partners to receive payment to
provide care to people with high or
very-high disability support needs
(b) expand carer eligibility to 16-18
year-old family members so that
they are able to be paid to provide
care to people with high or veryhigh
disability support needs (c)
expand client eligibility to include
under 18-year- olds with high or
very-high disability- support needs
(d) remove the current requirement
for an employment relationship to
exist between a disabled person
and their resident family member
in order to receive FFC (e) repeal
Part 4A of the New Zealand Public
Health and Disability Act 2000,
which currently prevents New Zealanders
from taking claims on the
basis of unlawful discrimination
to the Human Rights Commission
or before the courts and (f) lift pay
rates for family carers from the
minimum wage to $20.50-$25.50
per hour from April 14, 2020.
Details of eligibility
“Family carers will see their pay
rates lifted from the current minimum
wage to new rates, starting at
$20.50 and going up to $25.50, depending
on a carer’s qualifications.
If a family carer is funded for the
average 27 hours per week on the
new $20.50 minimum, this change
represents a 8.47% pay rise above
the minimum wage, or about $2,200
more than they would have got. For
family carers funded for 40 hours
per week, these reforms mean at
least $3,328 more per year. Lifting
the Government’s contribution is an
important step in the right direction
in acknowledging the important
work family carers do,” Ms Salesa
said.
The new rates align family carers’
pay with those carers employed by
formal providers as implemented
through the recent care and
support workers’ pay equity
settlement., she said.
Wage-lifting government
“This is a wage-lifting Government.
By the end of our first term
we would have lifted the national
minimum wage by $126 per week
for full time workers. We have
begun implementing the living
wage across the state sector, and we
are delivering a major pay boost to
family carers. Improving Funded
Family Care with these reforms
is also about building a more
equitable health system. We know
that Maori and Pacific families
make greater use of Funded Family
Care than other New Zealanders.
These changes are about fairness,
because carers would be paid these
stakeholders to attract, deliver and
leverage major events.
In July 2019, the Major Events
Fund changed its direction to prioritise
events that build national pride
and celebrate New Zealand culture,
as well as having a greater focus on
arts and cultural events.
The Creative and Cultural Events
Incubator was established to
ensure that arts and cultural events
are supported alongside sporting
events.
For further information, please
visit www.majorevents.govt.nz
rates if their loved ones with high
and very-high needs went through
formal providers,” Ms Salesa said.
Discrimination Claims
“We know there has been
frustration in the disability
community with the very limited
scheme introduced under the last
Government, and that’s why we
have been working with the sector
to make Funded Family Care fairer
and better for families,” she added.
“In particular, people were very
concerned that they were prevented
from making discrimination
claims on the basis of family status.
By restoring the right to make
discrimination claims in repealing
Part 4A of the Public Health and
Disability Act, we are showing
that we are serious about treating
family carers with the respect
they deserve. This is an important
symbolic change for the disability
and carers’ communities and I acknowledge
their ongoing advocacy,”
Ms Salesa said.
The Key dates
Legislation set to be introduced
to Parliament repealing Part 4A:
January 21, 2020
First Reading expected: February
2020
Ministry of Health FFC eligibility
expanded: April 14, 2020
New pay rates take effect, with all
carers lifted to at least $20.50: April
14, 2020
DHB FFC eligibility expanded:
End of June 2020
Part 4A Repealed: September 1,
2020
Hate speech has no place in civilised society says Minister
Venkat Raman
Interfaith dialogue and
interaction, love and tolerance
are important in every society
and more in a multicultural
country such as New Zealand, Ethnic
Communities Minister Jenny Salesa
has said.
Hate speeches and divisive comments
in the name of nationalism or
any other cause have no place in a
civilised societies, she added.
Compassion in tragedy
“The Christchurch massacre on
March 15, 2019 was the result of
hatred, which is alien to us in New
Zealand. The love and unity shown
by our communities in the aftermath
of that tragedy are important to all
of us. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern
led the country through those difficult
times through understanding,
compassion and sympathy,” she said.
Ms Salesa was speaking at the
guest session of the 31st Annual
Convention of the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Jama’at NZ Inc at its Majid
Baitul Muqueet complex in the South
Imam Mustenser Qamar, Bashir Ahmed Khan,
Jenny Sales and Wally Mitchell (INL Photo)
Auckland suburb of Wiri on January
18, 2020.
She was among the Guests of
Honour along with Wally Mitchell, St
John Canterbury District Operations
Manager and Psychologist Adele
Saunders at the meeting, attended
by Members of Parliament Michael
Wood, Priyanca Radhakrishnan
(Labour) and Jami-Lee Ross (Independent)
and members of the Hindu,
Christian and Sikh communities.
Ms Salesa said that the theme of
the guest session was appropriate
and that unity and compassion are
imperative for all New Zealand.
Ethnic Communities
Development Fund
“We have invested $7 million
towards ‘Safer Communities’ and we
have made available additional sum
$4 million every year towards the
Ethnic Communities Development
Fund. New Zealand values all
peoples, irrespective of their country
of origin, religious or other beliefs,
language and all other considerations.
We value our Muslim people
and I have engaged with Muslim
women and Muslim youth to assure
them that we as a government will
not tolerate hatred or hate speeches,”
she said.
Ms Salesa said that terrorism
should be eliminated, the primary
step towards which is to eliminate
hate speeches from all modes of
communications.
“As a measure of fostering the
spirit of unity and compassion, we
will host a conference or seminar
involving four major and different
religious groups this year,” she said.
Among the other speakers were Mr
Mitchell, Ms Saunders, Imam Mustenser
Qamar, Imam Abdul Quddus
Arif, President, Ahmadiyya Muslim
Youth Association United Kingdom
and Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at NZ
Inc National President Bashir Ahmed
Khan.
Imam Mustenser spoke about
slavery, its abolition and its re-emergence
in some societies in the form
of discrimination, racism and other
divisive practices.
“Racist elements can be found in
all countries of the world. It exists
in one form or the other. Racism is
against the principles and teachings
of Islam. The Holy Quran says that
everyone – people who are Muslims
and followers of other religions and
even non-believers are equal in the
eyes of Almighty Allah,” he said, in
his speech titled, ‘From a Single Soul.’
Jalsa Salana
The two-day annual meeting is
known in the Ahmadiyya community
as ‘Jalsa Salana.’
Mr Khan said that the guest session
is also held every year to provide
an opportunity for the wider community
to hear about some relevant
topical issues facing New Zealand
today linked with Islam.
“This meeting is a part of the
efforts of the Ahmadiyya community
encourage dialogue and to increase
understanding between all faith
groups,” he said.
About Ahmadiyyas
The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
is a dynamic, fast-growing
international revival movement
within Islam. Founded in 1889 by
Hadhrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
(1835-1908) in Punjab, India, the Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community spans
over 210 countries with membership
exceeding tens of millions.
Its motto of ‘Love for all and hatred
for none’ is evidenced through the
peaceful actions of its millions of
followers.
The New Zealand branch of this
community was established in
1987. It is a registered charitable
organisation and endeavours to be
an active and integrated community
within New Zealand society.