Support for Māori and Pasifika communities was a funding priority in New Zealand’s well-being budget, but a change in values may have greater impact than more money.
The Office of the Children’s Commissioner and the Ministry for Children have interviewed thousands of children about what well-being means to them.
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Kate C. Prickett, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
When thousands of New Zealand children were asked what well-being meant for them, most wanted enough money for basics, good relationships and to be free from bullying, racism and discrimination.
New Zealand developed a set of well-being indicators to guide policy advice.
AAP/Boris Jancic
New Zealand’s government has moved away from GDP as a sole indicator of prosperity to prioritise a suite of measures that track well-being.
New Zealand’s pledge to spend NZ$1.9 billion on mental health in the next five years includes extra nurses in schools to help 5,600 more secondary students.
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Dougal Sutherland, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
The New Zealand government has put a record NZ$1.9 billion mental health package at the centre of its well-being budget. It’s a welcome step in the right direction.
Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Health and Environmental Sciences, Auckland University of Technology, and Professor of Political Science, Charles Sturt University