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My Kitchen Rules star dies at just 46

<p><em>My Kitchen Rules New Zealand </em>contestant Michael Murray has passed away at just 46. </p> <p>An extended family member, who asked not to be named, has confirmed his death on Monday afternoon. </p> <p>“It’s a shock to all those who know him,” the relative told <em>Daily Mail Australia</em>. </p> <p>No cause of death has yet been released. </p> <p>Murray, of Ngāti Maniapoto heritage, competed in the 2024 season of the popular cooking show with his cousin Piki Knap. </p> <p>According to their biography for the series, the pair grew up together in Te Kūiti, south of Auckland, and developed their love of cooking from entertaining family guests.</p> <p>Murray was a huge Jamie Oliver fan, and was comfortable in front of the camera, after spending 12 years in Mexico where he worked on  telenovela soap operas and did small stints on other shows. </p> <p>He returned to New Zealand after the pandemic. </p> <p>“My background is modelling and acting,” he told <em>The New Zealand Herald</em>.</p> <p>“I was Mr New Zealand back in 2005, and that’s what took me overseas and eventually to Mexico. Obviously, I’m not Mexican, but they thought I was Latino! </p> <p>"I did some great work there, then to come home and be a part of this whole journey with MKR is a blessing in disguise. I’ve always put my hand up to opportunity.”</p> <p>Murray's family are now dealing with the devastation of losing another loved one after Murray's aunt passed away from terminal cancer a few months after the duo started filming for MKR. </p> <p><em>Images: My Kitchen Rules NZ</em></p> <p> </p>

Caring

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Six-year-old denied passport over trademarked name

<p>A mother from the UK has been left "absolutely devastated" after her six-year-old daughter's passport application was denied because she is named after a famous character in the fantasy series Game of Thrones. </p> <p>Lucy, a 39-year-old mum from South West England, told the <em><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4ng1xd06xwo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BBC</a></em> that things went downhill when she started planning their “dream” trip to Disneyland Paris as a family and needed to get her daughter a passport. </p> <p>She said that the initial application to get her daughter, Khaleesi, 6, was unable to be processed, with officials telling her she needed approval from Warner Brothers because they own the name’s trademark.</p> <p>“I was absolutely devastated, we were so looking forward to our first holiday together,” Lucy said.</p> <p>“I had a letter come through from the Passport Office, saying her name is trademarked by Warner Brothers,” she said. </p> <p>“It was the first I’ve heard of such a thing — I was astonished.”</p> <p>After receiving legal advice, the mum learned her daughter was legally allowed to use that name, and forwarded that information along to the Passport Office.</p> <p>“I didn’t understand and felt frustrated. If she could get a birth certificate, would something not have been flagged up then?” she said.</p> <p>“I never thought you could trademark a name,” she added.</p> <p>The Passport Office reportedly later called Lucy to apologise for the error and said they would continue with the process of little Khaleesi's passport. </p> <p>Lucy said she believes the problem was only solved because she complained on social media.</p> <p>“If I hadn’t posted this on social media, nothing would have been done. I would have been stuck, not knowing what to do,” she said, adding that others had reached out saying they’d experienced something similar.</p> <p>Lucy now said she is waiting until her daughter’s passport arrives before booking a new trip to Disneyland Paris.</p> <p>“I am hoping the passport will be issued soon and was promised that they would call back in a few days to see if it had progressed,” she told the <em>BBC</em>.</p> <p>She also hopes her story may help others stuck in a similar situation, saying,  “I think there might be other people in this situation, that they may have had their passports declined recently because of something like this. Hopefully, they now know it can be resolved."</p> <p><em>Image credits: HBO / BBC / Family Handout</em></p>

Legal

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It’s time to limit how often we can travel abroad – ‘carbon passports’ may be the answer

<p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ross-bennett-cook-1301368">Ross Bennett-Cook</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-westminster-916">University of Westminster</a></em></p> <p>The summer of 2023 has been very significant for the travel industry. By the end of July, international tourist arrivals globally <a href="https://www.unwto.org/news/international-tourism-swiftly-overcoming-pandemic-downturn">reached 84% of pre-pandemic levels</a>. In <a href="https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/eu-tourism-almost-full-recovery-pre-pandemic-levels-2023-10-23_en">some European countries</a>, such as France, Denmark and Ireland, tourism demand even surpassed its pre-pandemic level.</p> <p>This may be great <a href="https://skift.com/insight/state-of-travel/">news economically</a>, but there’s concern that a return to the status quo is already showing dire environmental and social consequences.</p> <p>The summer saw record-breaking heatwaves across many parts of the world. People were forced to flee <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/24/greece-wildfires-corfu-evia-rhodes-heatwave-northern-hemisphere-extreme-weather-temperatures-europe">wildfires in Greece</a> and <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/hawaii-fires-update-biden-b2393188.html">Hawaii</a>, and extreme <a href="https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/world-news/foreign-office-issues-spain-weather-27339111">weather warnings</a> were issued in many popular holiday destinations like Portugal, Spain and Turkey. Experts <a href="https://theconversation.com/european-heatwave-whats-causing-it-and-is-climate-change-to-blame-209653">attributed these extreme conditions</a> to climate change.</p> <p>Tourism is part of the problem. The tourism sector <a href="https://wttc.org/Portals/0/Documents/Reports/2021/WTTC_Net_Zero_Roadmap.pdf">generates around one-tenth</a> of the greenhouse gas emissions that are driving the climate crisis.</p> <p>The negative impacts of tourism on the environment have become so severe that some are suggesting drastic changes to our travel habits are inevitable. In a <a href="https://www.intrepidtravel.com/sites/intrepid/files/basic_page/files/A%20Sustainable%20Future%20For%20Travel%20From%20Crisis%20To%20Transformation-231016-02.pdf">report</a> from 2023 that analysed the future of sustainable travel, tour operator Intrepid Travel proposed that “carbon passports” will soon become a reality if the tourism industry hopes to survive.</p> <h2>What is a carbon passport?</h2> <p>The idea of a carbon passport centres on each traveller being assigned a yearly carbon allowance that they cannot exceed. These allowances can then “ration” travel.</p> <p>This concept may seem extreme. But the idea of personal carbon allowances is not new. A <a href="https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmenvaud/565/565.pdf">similar concept</a> (called “personal carbon trading”) was discussed in the House of Commons in 2008, before being shut down due to its perceived complexity and the possibility of public resistance.</p> <p>The <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/#:%7E:text=A%20carbon%20footprint%20is%20the,is%20closer%20to%204%20tons.">average annual carbon footprint</a> for a person in the US is 16 tonnes – one of the highest rates in the world. In the UK this figure sits at 11.7 tonnes, still more than five times the figure recommended by the <a href="https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/the-average-british-carbon-footprint-is-five-times-over-paris-agreement-recommendations/152669/#:%7E:text=Despite%20rising%20environmental%20awareness%20across,equivalent%20(tCO2e)%20per%20year.">Paris Agreement</a> to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C.</p> <p>Globally, the average annual carbon footprint of a person is closer to 4 tonnes. But, to have the best chance of preventing temperature rise from overshooting 2°C, the average global carbon footprint <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/get-involved/how-to-help/carbon-footprint-calculator/#:%7E:text=Globally%2C%20the%20average%20carbon%20footprint,tons%20doesn't%20happen%20overnight!">needs to drop</a> to under 2 tonnes by 2050. This figure equates to around <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2019/jul/19/carbon-calculator-how-taking-one-flight-emits-as-much-as-many-people-do-in-a-year">two return flights</a> between London and New York.</p> <p>Intrepid Travel’s report predicts that we will see carbon passports in action by 2040. However, <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/travel-short-haul-flights-europe-under-fire-climate-change-cop26/">several laws and restrictions</a> have been put in place over the past year that suggest our travel habits may already be on the verge of change.</p> <h2>Targeting air travel</h2> <p>Between 2013 and 2018, the amount of CO₂ emitted by commercial aircrafts worldwide <a href="https://theicct.org/sites/default/files/publications/ICCT_CO2-commercl-aviation-2018_20190918.pdf">increased by 32%</a>. Improvements in fuel efficiency are slowly reducing per passenger emissions. But <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1352231014004889">research</a> from 2014 found that whatever the industry’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions, they will be outweighed by the growth in air traffic.</p> <p>For emission reductions to have any meaningful effect, ticket prices would have to rise by 1.4% each year, discouraging some people from flying. However, in reality, <a href="https://www.climatecentral.org/news/increase-in-flights-will-outweigh-carbon-cuts-17875">ticket prices are falling</a>.</p> <p>Some European countries are beginning to take measures to reduce air travel. As of April 1 2023, passengers on short-haul flights and older aircraft in Belgium have been <a href="https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/12/12/private-jets-and-short-haul-flights-face-pollution-busting-tax-increases-in-belgium">subject to increased taxes</a> to encourage alternative forms of travel.</p> <p>Less than two months later France banned <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-65687665">short-haul domestic flights</a> where the same trip can be made by train in two-and-a-half hours or less. <a href="https://businesstravelerusa.com/news/spain-to-follow-frances-lead-plans-to-ban-short-haul-domestic-flights/">Spain</a> is expected to follow suit.</p> <p>A similar scheme could also be on the horizon for Germany. In 2021, a <a href="https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/seventy-percent-germans-favour-banning-short-haul-flights-survey">YouGov poll</a> found that 70% of Germans would support such measures to fight climate change if alternative transport routes like trains or ships were available.</p> <h2>Cruises and carbon</h2> <p>It’s not just air travel that’s being criticised. An <a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/The-return-of-the-cruise-June-2023.pdf">investigation</a> by the European Federation for Transport and Environment in 2023 found that cruise ships pump four times as many sulphuric gases (which are proven to cause acid rain and <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesellsmoor/2019/04/26/cruise-ship-pollution-is-causing-serious-health-and-environmental-problems/?sh=468ee2f637db">several respiratory conditions</a>) into the atmosphere than all of Europe’s 291 million cars combined.</p> <p>Statistics like these have forced European destinations to <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/8727387d-590d-43bd-a305-b5ec208a4dfe">take action</a> against the cruise industry. In July, Amsterdam’s council <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-66264226">banned cruise ships</a> from docking in the city centre in a bid to reduce tourism and pollution – an initiative that has shown success elsewhere.</p> <p>In 2019 Venice was the most polluted European port, due to large numbers of cruise ship visits. But it dropped to 41st place in 2022 after a ban on large cruise ships entering the city’s waters <a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/discover/europes-luxury-cruise-ships-emit-as-much-toxic-sulphur-as-1bn-cars-study/">reduced air pollutants from ships</a> in Venice by 80%.</p> <h2>Changing destinations</h2> <p>Intrepid Travel’s report also highlights that not only how we travel, but <a href="https://joint-research-centre.ec.europa.eu/jrc-news-and-updates/global-warming-reshuffle-europes-tourism-demand-particularly-coastal-areas-2023-07-28_en">where we travel</a> will soon be impacted by climate change. Boiling temperatures will probably diminish the allure of traditional beach destinations, prompting European tourists to search for cooler destinations such as Belgium, Slovenia and Poland for their summer holidays.</p> <p><a href="https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/Travelers-seek-cooler-destinations-this-summer">Several travel agencies</a> reported seeing noticeable increases in holiday bookings to cooler European destinations like Scandinavia, Ireland and the UK during 2023’s peak summer travel months.</p> <p>Whatever the solution may be, changes to our travel habits look inevitable. Destinations across the globe, from <a href="https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/barcelonas-war-on-tourism-ada-colau/">Barcelona</a> to the <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/italy-tourism-bans-controls-fees-restrictions/a-66453047">Italian riveria</a> and even <a href="https://theconversation.com/death-on-everest-the-boom-in-climbing-tourism-is-dangerous-and-unsustainable-114033">Mount Everest</a> are already calling for limits on tourist numbers as they struggle to cope with crowds and pollution.</p> <p>Holidaymakers should prepare to change their travel habits now, before this change is forced upon them.</p> <p><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/ross-bennett-cook-1301368"><em>Ross Bennett-Cook</em></a><em>, Visiting Lecturer, School of Architecture + Cities, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-westminster-916">University of Westminster</a></em></p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images  </em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-time-to-limit-how-often-we-can-travel-abroad-carbon-passports-may-be-the-answer-216503">original article</a>.</em></p>

International Travel

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Doggone it! Groom's passport eaten by pup just days ahead of international wedding

<p>A couple's dream wedding abroad has been put in jeopardy after their cheeky golden retriever destroyed the groom-to-be's passport just weeks before their big day. </p> <p>Donato Frattaroli and his fiancée Magda, from Boston in the US, have planned their dream nuptials in Italy, with their big day coming up on August 31st. </p> <p>The couple went to city hall to fill out the intention of marriage forms a week before they were set to fly out, when Donato realised their dog, a golden retriever named Chickie, has destroyed his passport. </p> <p>The dog had chewed through several pages of the passport, rendering it completely useless. </p> <p>Donato said that Chickie, short for chicken cutlet, knew the damage she had caused.</p> <p>"She kinda knew what she did and all of a sudden, she got really cuddly, you know, head on the lap kind of thing," he told <a href="https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/living/story/dog-eats-groom-bes-passport-weeks-international-wedding-102418832" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Good Morning America</em></a>. </p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">Dog ate my ... passport?!</p> <p>A Boston couple’s golden retriever chewed through multiple pages of groom Donatto Frattaroli’s passport just days before they were set to fly to Italy for their wedding. <a href="https://t.co/LN7fhOtOr7">pic.twitter.com/LN7fhOtOr7</a></p> <p>— Good Morning America (@GMA) <a href="https://twitter.com/GMA/status/1693596934467191192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p>Donato has now contacted state officials to help them get to the altar in Italy in time.</p> <p>"I'm just a little stressed," Frattaroli said. </p> <p>"Luckily, Congressman (Stephen) Lynch's office and Senator (Ed) Markey's office have been super responsive. They've been in touch, at least with me and the State Department, to try to expedite things and get a new passport."</p> <p>"Keep my fingers crossed and, hopefully, everything will work itself out."</p> <p>Donato attended a passport appointment on Monday to get the important document, and is crossing his fingers it arrives before their flight departs on Friday. </p> <p>The couple told local Boston news outlet WCVB that if Frattaroli's passport replacement doesn't come in time, Magda and their wedding guests will travel to Italy without Frattaroli and he'll welcome them all home when they return to the US.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Good Morning America / WCVB TV</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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World’s Best Airline crowned for 2023

<p dir="ltr">Air New Zealand has received the top honour from the <a href="https://www.airlineratings.com/news/passenger-news/air-nz-named-airline-of-the-year-for-2023/">AirlineRatings.com Airline Excellence Awards</a>, taking home the coveted title of World’s Best Airline. </p> <p dir="ltr">It’s the seventh time the airline has been commended since 2013, for the likes of its innovative and multi-award-winning SkyNest economy beds, its operational safety, environmental leadership, and staff motivation.</p> <p dir="ltr">Competition was tough for the top five, with five editors looking at everything from major safety and government audits to 12 key factors including “fleet age, passenger reviews, profitability, investment rating, product offerings, and staff relations.”</p> <p dir="ltr">And while Air NZ had taken out second place to two-time-consecutive champ Qatar Airways in 2022, the situation flipped in 2023, with the airline beating out Qatar, Etihad, Korean Airlines, and Singapore for the prestigious win. </p> <p dir="ltr">As AirlineRatings’ Editor-in-Chief Geoffrey Thomas said, “in our objective analysis Air New Zealand came out number one in many key areas although it was a very close scoring for the top five.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Air New Zealand’s commitment to excellence in all facets of its business starts at the top with outstanding governance and one of the best executive teams in aviation through to a workforce that is delivering consistently to the airline’s strategy and customer promise.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Like all airlines across the globe Air New Zealand has faced severe disruptions during and after the pandemic and this year huge challenges from storms and cyclones. The airline has responded well.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Our editorial team was impressed by the airline’s commitment to the economy passenger and on long haul offers more comfort options than any other airline.”</p> <p dir="ltr">In response to the win, Air NZ’s CEO Greg Foran shared that the airline owed its success to the 12,000 members of staff “who wake up each morning to connect Kiwis with each other and the world.” </p> <p dir="ltr">He remarked that “it is a sign that we have got our swing back”, and like with many other airlines around the world, “we understand that our fantastic team faces difficulties in providing the service we strive for and that our customers expect. We’re working hard to address these challenges. </p> <p dir="ltr">“There is no doubt that we have more work to do to tackle customer concerns like wait times, on-time departures and arrivals, lost baggage, and refunds. We want to thank our customers for their patience and support as we work towards delivering the greatest flying experience on Earth.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Just missing out on the top five were Australia’s own Qantas and Virgin - coming in at sixth and seventh place respectively - although both airlines snagged number one positions in other categories. </p> <p dir="ltr">Qantas took out Best Lounges with its network of over 51 lounges across Australia and the rest of the world. Meanwhile, Virgin Australia/VirginAtlantic took home the title of Best Cabin Crew - in what marked their fifth victory in the category.</p> <p dir="ltr">And for anyone wondering how the rest of world’s top 25 premium airlines stacked up, here’s the complete list: Air New Zealand, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Korean Air, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Virgin Australia/Virgin Atlantic, EVA Air, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, Lufthansa / Swiss, SAS, TAP Portugal, All Nippon Airways, Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, British Airways, Jet Blue, JAL, Vietnam Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Hawaiian, KLM, Alaska Airlines, and United Airlines.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p> <p> </p>

International Travel

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Why Air NZ is asking passengers to hop on the scales

<p dir="ltr">Until July 2, passengers departing on international Air New Zealand flights from Auckland International Airport are being asked to step on the scales before their trip. </p> <p dir="ltr">New Zealand’s Civil Aviation Authority are making the request as part of a “weight survey” program - one required to take place every five years - and hoping to gather more information on the weight loads and distributions for aircrafts.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We weigh everything that goes on the aircraft - from the cargo to the meals onboard, to the luggage in the hold,” Air NZ’s load control improvement specialist Alastair James explained. “For customers, crew and cabin bags, we use average weights, which we get from doing this survey.”</p> <p dir="ltr">James went on to note that they are aware “stepping on the scales can be daunting”, as weight is a personal issue that many do not want to make public knowledge. And for any passengers with such concerns, the airline has promised to protect their privacy, with the data being kept anonymous. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We want to reassure our customers there is no visible display anywhere," he said. “No one can see your weight - not even us! It’s completely anonymous.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Two scales are to be set up in Auckland International Airport’s gate lounges - one that travellers will be asked to stand on, with their weight submitted for the survey, and another for their luggage in a separate weighing process. </p> <p dir="ltr">In order for the survey to be effective, 10,000 passengers must participate over the course of five weeks. </p> <p dir="ltr">“It’s simple, it’s voluntary,” James added, “and by weighing in, you’ll be helping us to fly you safely and efficiently, every time.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Air NZ’s project also means that passengers experiencing one of the world’s longest flights - the 17-hour flagship trip from Auckland to New York City’s JFK Airport - for the first time may find themselves asked to participate. </p> <p dir="ltr">It isn’t the first time the airline has requested its passengers hop on the scales before their trips either, with a similar survey taking place in 2021. And while the international research was meant to be conducted at an earlier date as well, the pandemic brought those plans to a temporary halt. </p> <p dir="ltr">And similar surveys are undertaken all across the globe, with Flight Global revealing that a survey by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency in 2022 discovered that the average weight of passengers has remained “relatively unchanged” for the past 15 years.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Images: Getty</em></p>

International Travel

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Busting a king-sized myth: why Australia and NZ could become republics – and still stay in the Commonwealth

<p>The imminent coronation of King Charles III is an ideal time for Australia and New Zealand to take stock of the British monarchy and its role in national life – including certain myths about what becoming a republic might mean.</p> <p>In particular, there is a common assumption that both nations must remain monarchies to retain membership of the Commonwealth of Nations. It might sound logical, but it’s entirely wrong. </p> <p>There is no basis for it in the rules of the Commonwealth or the practice of its members. Australia could ditch the monarchy and stay in the club, and New Zealand can too, whether it has a king or a Kiwi as head of state. </p> <p>Yet this peculiar myth persists at home and abroad. Students often ask me about it when I’m teaching the structure of government. And just this week a French TV station interpreted the New Zealand prime minister’s opinion that his country would one day <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/may/01/new-zealand-will-ideally-become-a-republic-one-day-says-chris-hipkins">ideally become a republic</a> to mean he would <a href="https://www.bfmtv.com/international/oceanie/nouvelle-zelande/nouvelle-zelande-le-nouveau-premier-ministre-souhaite-que-son-pays-quitte-le-commonwealth_AN-202305010328.html">like to see</a> it leave the Commonwealth.</p> <h2>What does ‘Commonwealth’ mean?</h2> <p>The implication that breaking from the Commonwealth would be a precursor to, or consequence of, becoming a republic relies on a faulty premise which joins two entirely separate things: the way we pick our head of state, and our membership of the Commonwealth. </p> <p>It would make just as much sense to ask whether Australia or New Zealand should leave the International Cricket Council and become a republic.</p> <p>The confusion may derive from the fact that the 15 countries that continue to have the British sovereign as their head of state are known as “Commonwealth Realms”. </p> <p>What we usually refer to as the Commonwealth, on the other hand, is the organisation founded in 1926 as the British Commonwealth of Nations. This is the body whose membership determines the competing nations of the <a href="https://www.commonwealthsport.com/">Commonwealth Games</a>, the highest-profile aspect of the Commonwealth’s work. </p> <p>King Charles III is the head of state of the 15 Commonwealth Realms and the head of the international governmental organisation that is the Commonwealth of Nations. The Commonwealth has 56 members – but only 15 of them continue to have the king as head of state.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said Monday he personally favors his country becoming a republic, though it’s not a change he intends to push for as leader. <a href="https://t.co/1XEiFFtqPT">https://t.co/1XEiFFtqPT</a> <a href="https://t.co/aftsZ0hHmV">pic.twitter.com/aftsZ0hHmV</a></p> <p>— The Diplomat (@Diplomat_APAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/Diplomat_APAC/status/1653406552693395457?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <h2>Joining the Commonwealth club</h2> <p>To be fair, confusion over who heads the Commonwealth is nothing new. A <a href="https://www.royalcwsociety.org/_files/ugd/e578ea_5642f282aad345faa0b39c9eebd465e5.pdf">2010 poll</a> conducted by the Royal Commonwealth Society found that, of the respondents in seven countries, only half knew the then queen was the head of the Commonwealth. </p> <p>A quarter of Jamaicans believed the organisation was led by the then US president, Barack Obama. One in ten Indians and South Africans thought it was run by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan.</p> <p>Given the king’s overlapping leadership roles and the different use of the word in the contexts of Commonwealth Realms and the Commonwealth of Nations, these broad misunderstandings are perhaps understandable. In fact, it was this ambiguity that allowed for the development of an inclusive Commonwealth during the postwar years of decolonisation.</p> <p>However the confusion arose, it is also very simple to correct. The Commonwealth relaxed its membership rules regarding republics when India became one in 1950. </p> <p>According to Philip Murphy, the historian and former director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, this decision was based on the erroneous idea that India’s huge standing army would underwrite Britain’s great-power status in the postwar world. </p> <p>From that point on the Commonwealth of Nations no longer comprised only members who admitted to the supremacy of one sovereign. To make the change palatable, a piece of conceptual chicanery was needed. Each country did not need a king, but theking was to be head of the organisation comprising equal members.</p> <h2>Monarchy optional</h2> <p>Since then, the number of Commonwealth members has steadily increased to the 56 we have today.</p> <p>As early as 1995, membership was extended to countries with no ties to the former British Empire. With the support of Nelson Mandela, Mozambique became a member, joining the six Commonwealth members with which it shared a border. </p> <p>Rwanda, a former German and then Belgian colony, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/oukwd-uk-commonwealth-rwanda-idAFTRE5AS1C520091129">joined in 2009</a>. It became an enthusiastic member and hosted the biennial meeting of states known as CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting). The most recent countries to take up Commonwealth membership are the <a href="https://thecommonwealth.org/news/gabon-and-togo-join-commonwealth">former French colonies of Togo and Gabon</a>. </p> <p>According to the <a href="http://www.thecommonwealth.org/shared_asp_files/GFSR.asp?NodeID=174532">Commonwealth’s own rules</a>, membership is based on a variety of things, including commitment to democratic processes, human rights and good governance. Being a monarchy is entirely optional. </p> <p>The new king offers the chance for a broader debate on the advantages of monarchy. But let’s do so knowing Commonwealth membership is entirely unaffected by the question of whether or not the country is a republic.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Getty Images</em></p> <p><em>This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/busting-a-king-sized-myth-why-australia-and-nz-could-become-republics-and-still-stay-in-the-commonwealth-204750" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>. </em></p>

Legal

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"Mateship in action": NZ survivors of helicopter crash praise Aussie compassion

<p>Two couples from New Zealand who survived the deadly helicopter collision on the Gold Coast have shared their condolences for those who died during the accident.</p> <p>Edward and Marle Swart along with Riaan and Elmarie Steenberg spoke of how the "fun five-minute joy ride on vacation to Australia turned into a nightmare" and said their "hearts are so heavy" for those who died in the other aircraft that fell to the ground.</p> <p>"Our deepest sympathies and sincere condolences to the injured and the deceased and their families," they said in a joint statement released on Wednesday night.</p> <p>"We are grateful and blessed to have been spared but very sad for the people who lost loved ones and the little ones and mum fighting for their lives in hospital.</p> <p>"Our hearts are so heavy for them."</p> <p>The couples also praised the 52-year-old pilot who managed to land their damaged helicopter safely "through all the chaos", while also commending the actions of witnesses who rushed to help on the scene. </p> <p>"Our gratitude goes out to every bystander who ran to help, every police officer and emergency services personnel who helped us with our immediate needs keeping us calm and making us comfortable," they said.</p> <p>"We saw mateship in action. Australians come together to help in time of need."</p> <p>"We would like to extend our great thanks to the hospital staff taking care of us for their kindness and compassion during this traumatic experience."</p> <p>The New Zealand couples, all in their 40s, were among the six people in the second helicopter who all survived the crash with minor injuries.</p> <p><a href="https://oversixty.com.au/news/news/helicopter-crash-victims-identified" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Four people</a> on the first helicopter died while the remaining three survivors remain in hospital.</p> <p><em>Image credits: Nine News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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"Dear leg, I'll miss you so much": Boy's tragic farewell

<p>A young boy has left a heartbreaking message on his leg after learning that it had to be amputated due to a rare cancer.</p> <p>Chandler Tran, 8, from Australia, and his family first discovered the illness when they found a “pea-sized” bump on his leg and noticed he was walking with a limp when he returned from holiday care around Easter time.</p> <p>Seeking an X-ray at the local hospital, he was then taken to a children’s hospital in Sydney and was given the devastating diagnosis of osteosarcoma, which is a rare bone cancer.</p> <p>The following months comprised of chemotherapy treatment. Doctors then wanted to amputate his leg to alleviate the pain, but the amputation will not cure him.</p> <p>Chandler’s dad Cong Tan, 42, recalled the moment. He said: “Can you take a photo of my leg on my tablet?”</p> <p>“He drew a little love heart over his leg and wrote a little message.”</p> <p>“He wrote: ‘Dear leg, I’ll miss you so much when you’re gone, love Chandler.’</p> <p>“He was sad about the prospect of losing his leg, but he was like, ‘If that’s what I need to do to not have pain, then that’s okay.’</p> <p>“For us seeing him coping so well, that really helped us.”</p> <p>Days after recovering from that operation, his family were told the tumours in Chandler’s lungs had grown and the doctors couldn’t do anything more to save his life.</p> <p>“They said any treatment would just be palliative, to try and slow the cancer down,” his mother Trang said.</p> <p>The family has set up a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/jwxjw-support-the-trans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GoFundMe</a> page to help cover eventual funeral costs but also to fund any LEGO that Chandler wants.</p> <p>“The sickness is coming on and we are at the point where we can’t treat it and so it is about keeping him happy,” Mr Tran said.</p> <p>“We appreciate everyone who has donated and is helping us give Chandler whatever his heart desires to make the last bit as enjoyable as possible.”</p> <p><em>Image: NZ Herald </em></p>

Body

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The best way to carry travel documents

<p>If something happens overseas and you need to produce an important travel document, you want to be able to do so without having to empty half your suitcase. Keeping your travel documents organised can save you quite a lot of stress when you’re abroad.</p> <p>But what’s the best way to do so?</p> <p>We’ve taken a look at the options for getting your travel documents together, and provided some tips and tricks to do so. Organising ahead of time might be the difference between passing a border easily, and having to deal with an irate customs official.</p> <p><strong>Travel folder</strong></p> <p>There is a range of specialised travel folders on the market at the moment, but even something as simple as a standard A4 folder can do the job well enough, protecting your important documents from the elements while ensuring they all remain in the same place.</p> <p>The advantage of using a travel folder is that it’s a relatively inexpensive solution, but at the same time if it’s not specifically designed for travel, some bulkier items like your passport can be loose.</p> <p><strong>Travel wallet</strong></p> <p>These items are becoming increasingly popular and it’s easy to see why, as they provide a neat little way to store all your important documents. They can also provide a stylish accessory, as we can see in this video which shows how anyone can make their own <a href="../travel/travel-insurance/2016/03/how-to-make-a-diy-travel-wallet/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">great DIY travel wallet</span></strong></a>.</p> <p>Travel wallets are lightweight, easy to carry and reliable. The only disadvantage is that they are not really suitable for larger documents like booking confirmations.</p> <p><strong>Money belts</strong></p> <p>Another neat way to carry travel documents around, money belts are generally pretty discreet. Strapped around your stomach, it can be a great way to carry around your important travel documents without running the risk of them being nabbed by pickpockets. That being said, money belts are only so big, and might not be suitable for all of your travel documents.</p> <p><strong>Additional hints and tips</strong></p> <ul> <li>Before you go, take time to make copies of your travel documents such as your passport and airfares, and be sure to carry these around in a separate place.</li> <li>Consider making digital copies of your travel documents as well. Save these on a USB, in an email or on an <a href="https://www.tripit.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">itinerary</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> stor</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;">age</span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"> website such as TripIt</span></strong></a>.</li> <li>Review the <a href="../travel/travel-insurance/2015/11/destinations-you-need-a-visa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Visa entry requirements</span></strong></a> of the destination you’re visiting.</li> <li>Be wary when a hotel or travel company asks you to <a href="../travel/travel-tips/2015/12/handing-your-passport-to-a-hotel/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">hand over your passport</span></strong></a>.</li> </ul> <p><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Tips

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Boat tragedy claims five lives after whale flips vessel

<p>New details have emerged pertaining to the accident that involved a whale, which was understood to have flipped over a boat at Goose Bay, claiming the lives of five photographers near Kaikōura in New Zealand’s South Island.</p> <p>The fatal accident occurred at 10 am on a Saturday, when the whale breached directly underneath the boat causing the vessel to capsize. Six people were thrown overboard including the skipper; five others were left trapped and did not survive.</p> <p>According to their website, the 10 photographers from the Nature Photography Society had been planning the three-day field trip for months. Everyone made their way to the popular seaside village on Friday September 9, before setting out to photograph landscapes, seascapes and birdlife. </p> <p>The group embarked at 9 am in an 8.5m aluminium boat, leaving South Bay at Kaikōura and heading down the coastline to Goose Bay near the well-known twin road tunnels on State Highway 1.</p> <p>The three-hour charter had taken the group out on the water to capture photos of the snow-capped Kaikōura landscape in the background and the birdlife along the coast, with whale watching not even on the agenda.</p> <p>An hour later, the charter headed north towards Barneys Rock, a popular spot for photographers and tourists. As it motored slowly north it appears it was on the edge of the famous deep trench that is home to whales, where the canyon quickly drops away to a depth of 500 metres and as far down as 3km.</p> <p>The boat was about 500 m from shore when the emerged from directly beneath the boat, flipping the vessel, throwing the skipper and passengers into the water.</p> <p>The Transport Accident Investigation Commission is investigating, in conjunction with Maritime New Zealand and the police.</p> <p><em>Image: Getty</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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“Kia Ora NZ!”: First cruise ship returns to New Zealand

<p dir="ltr">After more than two years, the first cruise ship has returned to New Zealand’s shores, sailing into Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour on Friday.</p> <p dir="ltr">The P&amp;O Cruises flagship <em>Pacific Explorer</em>, decked out with a banner reading, “Kia ora NZ”, was carrying passengers on a 12-night round-trip cruise from Sydney to New Zealand and Fiji, who were greeted with a traditional Māori welcome before heading ashore for locally-run tours.</p> <p dir="ltr">Multiple Kiwi businesses welcomed the return of cruising to New Zealand and hope it will bring a boost to the local economy and their business.</p> <p dir="ltr">David Lee, who owns five eateries in the shopping and hospitality precinct in Auckland City, said the return of cruising has brought him hope after the lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic wreaked havoc when he opened in March 2020.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Without tourists, it was really hard to keep our restaurants afloat,” he said in a statement. “Our projected revenue amounted to less than half of what it should have been - we hung on by the skin of our teeth.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The return of cruise ships and the tourists they bring has given me hope for our business. I can’t wait to see the city abuzz with tourists and energy again.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Clinton Farley, the general manager of The Hotel Britomart, a boutique hotel in downtown Auckland, said the return of tourists through cruising isn’t just welcome financially, but also from a community aspect.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Along with our industry peers, we are extremely excited to see the maritime border reopening and tourists returning – they are such an important part of the fabric within our community,” Mr Farley said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Tourists are crucial not just to the hotel but also to the wider Britomart precinct and the New Zealand economy. The return of cruise is a big part of our reopening to the world, and we are thrilled to see downtown Auckland coming back to life.”</p> <p dir="ltr">P&amp;O Cruises Australia and Carnival Australia president Marguerite Fitzgerald thanked the Ardern government for enabling the cruising industry to return following the pandemic, </p> <p dir="ltr">“<em>Pacific Explorer</em>’s arrival in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland today is a signal that cruise tourism is poised to make a significant contribution to the restoration of the tourism economy,” Ms Fitzgerald said. </p> <p dir="ltr">“We are looking forward to our ships also being able to return to beautiful destinations in New Caledonia and Vanuatu and to the progressive return to New Zealand ports of ships from our other cruise lines as the tourism sector continues to rebuild.”</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Fitzgerald added that they were already planning for the <em>Pacific Explorer</em> to return to Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland, in 2023 for the ship’s first home-ported cruise in three years.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This is an exciting day for P&amp;O and an exciting day for cruising and we thank New Zealand for today’s warm welcome,” she said.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-6ef01876-7fff-913a-4d2c-c7fb74120603"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: P&amp;O Cruises (Supplied)</em></p>

Cruising

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This EU country is the first to trial digital passports

<p dir="ltr">Finland will be the first country to trial digital passports that would allow people to travel without paper documents.</p> <p dir="ltr">Instead, travellers will be able to use a mobile app that stores digital copies of their important travel documents, as reported by the <em><a href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/travel/finland-set-to-become-the-first-eu-country-to-trial-digital-passports/MDLD7UORHB4GACBOZ35SZ3NUQQ/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NZ Herald</a></em>.</p> <p dir="ltr">A successful trial would be a big step towards EU-wide adoption of digital passports, but Europeans shouldn’t be ditching their paper passports just yet.</p> <p dir="ltr">Mikko Väisänen, an inspector of the Finnish Border Guard, said the trial is dependent on the Finnish government finishing the drafting of a funding application which will be submitted to the European Commission at the end of the month.</p> <p dir="ltr">Once the funding is approved, a select group of volunteers will be able to take part in the pilot run, held at Helsinki Airport for flights between Finland and Croatia.</p> <p dir="ltr">The volunteers will still need their paper passports, but will be given a mobile app to download onto their phone so they can share the necessary information with border security.</p> <p dir="ltr">Väisänen said that adopting digital passports wouldn’t just make the lives of travellers easier, especially for those who forget or lose their documents while abroad, but can also make border checks more efficient.</p> <p dir="ltr">Christoph Wolff, the Head of Mobility at the World Economic Forum, agreed, saying that electronic, paperless systems could be key to managing demand in airports.</p> <p dir="ltr">"By 2030, international air arrivals are expected to reach 1.8 billion passengers, up 50 per cent from 2016. Under today's systems, airports cannot keep up with this growth," he said.</p> <p dir="ltr">If the Finnish government’s application is successful, the trial would begin at the end of 2022.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-71dfee4d-7fff-6ba3-056f-0a3907b16c4b"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

International Travel

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Australia’s wellbeing budget: what we can – and can’t – learn from NZ

<p>Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers has <a href="https://twitter.com/JEChalmers/status/1545191023386951680" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> Australia will follow Aotearoa New Zealand’s example and put wellbeing at the centre of the national budget.</p> <p>So what is a wellbeing budget? To understand that requires a short explanation of how Australia’s budget works now, and how wellbeing goals will change the process.</p> <p><strong>How the budget has worked till now</strong></p> <p>Governments around the world budget in different ways. Some deliver little more than a statement of economic policy aspirations. Others, like Australia and New Zealand, publish detailed and useful information.</p> <p>The standard Australian budget since the 1980s has included an economic outlook, official estimates of likely revenue and expenses, and details on proposed changes to taxes and spending. There are sections on risks, estimates of debt, and much else besides.</p> <p>Preparing the budget is a mammoth undertaking by bureaucrats, ministers, and ministerial offices.</p> <p>Nevertheless government decisions actually only affect the budget at the margins.</p> <p>The bulk of spending is locked in to programs that roll on year after year – such as aged pensions, health and defence. Budgeting is incremental. Cabinet’s key budget decision-making body, the <a href="https://www.finance.gov.au/about-us/glossary/pgpa/term-expenditure-review-committee-erc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Expenditure Review Committee</a>, will work for months to shift just 2-3% of spending.</p> <p>There are exceptions. When a major new tax such as the GST is introduced, for example. Or when a government spends big in response to a global financial crisis or pandemic. But these are rare.</p> <p>Government budget decisions at the margin are, however, what the media and political debate focuses on, because they show the government’s priorities.</p> <p>These priorities typically change each year, reflecting political imperatives.</p> <p>The grab-bag of disparate spending increases in the Morrison government’s last budget, <a href="https://budget.gov.au/2022-23/content/overview/index.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">for example</a>, reflected an impending election. Its <a href="https://archive.budget.gov.au/2021-22/download/glossy_overview.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021-22</a> budget reflected the pandemic. Its <a href="https://archive.budget.gov.au/2019-20/download/overview.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2019-20 budget</a> reflected its long-term plan to deliver a surplus.</p> <p><strong>New Zealand makes the shift</strong></p> <p>Until 2019 and its first wellbeing budget, New Zealand’s process was so similar to Australia’s that observers lumped them together as the “Antipodean” model of budgeting.</p> <p>No longer. The New Zealand government’s policy decisions still remain mostly at the margins. But the way those marginal decisions are made has changed.</p> <p>Priorities are no longer just set according to the government’s whim but are more constant – reflecting long-term goals identified as important to national wellbeing. These priorities aren’t meant to change significantly between years, or terms, or even decades.</p> <p><strong>Setting national priorities</strong></p> <p>New Zealand first wellbeing budget in 2019 set out five priorities for budget funding:</p> <ol> <li>transition to a sustainable and low-emissions economy</li> <li>social and economic opportunities</li> <li>lifting Maori and Pacific peoples’ opportunities</li> <li>reducing child poverty</li> <li>improving mental health.</li> </ol> <p>These priorities have stayed the same over four wellbeing budgets – albeit with some minor changes, such as adding physical wellbeing to the mental health objective.</p> <p>Extra funding has been allocated to these priorities in each of the four years. The 2022 budget, for example, had <a href="https://www.beehive.govt.nz/speech/minister-finance-wellbeing-budget-2022-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an extra NZ$580 million</a> (about A$525 million) for health, social and justice program contributing to Māori wellbeing.</p> <p><strong>Has it made a difference?</strong></p> <p>It is not yet apparent what wellbeing budgeting has achieved for New Zealand. But that’s to be expected.</p> <p>Challenges such as child poverty, greenhouse emissions or mental health need decades of sustained effort, not four years of the standard budgeting cycle. These are areas that have often been neglected precisely because they can’t provide some “announceable” outcome in time for an election.</p> <p>Criticisms of the New Zealand process for <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/australia-shouldn-t-blindly-follow-nz-wellbeing-budget-model-20220708-p5b084.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not yet improving outcomes</a> thus fail to appreciate the point of the reform. They are even more unfair given the context of the past two years, with the challenges of COVID-19, supply chain disruptions and global inflation.</p> <p><strong>Evidence from Scotland</strong></p> <p>A sense of the long-term benefits of wellbeing measures comes from Scotland.</p> <p>It has not yet gone as far as New Zealand with a wellbeing budget, but for 15 years it has had a “<a href="https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">well-being framework</a>” helping to shape spending priorities.</p> <p>The <a href="https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Performance Framework</a> was adopted in 2007 with a ten-year vision to measure and improve wellbeing outcomes.</p> <p>Updated in 2018, it covers 11 major outcomes – from “a globally competitive, entrepreneurial, inclusive and sustainable economy” to children growing up “loved, safe and respected” – with 81 measures of improvement (such as social and physical development scores as measures <a href="https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/measuring-progress/national-indicator-performance" target="_blank" rel="noopener">of child well-being</a>).</p> <hr /> <figure class="align-center zoomable"><a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473524/original/file-20220712-16-97lchi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1000&amp;fit=clip"><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473524/original/file-20220712-16-97lchi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;fit=clip" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/473524/original/file-20220712-16-97lchi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=595&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473524/original/file-20220712-16-97lchi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=595&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473524/original/file-20220712-16-97lchi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=600&amp;h=595&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473524/original/file-20220712-16-97lchi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=747&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473524/original/file-20220712-16-97lchi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=30&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=747&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/473524/original/file-20220712-16-97lchi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&amp;q=15&amp;auto=format&amp;w=754&amp;h=747&amp;fit=crop&amp;dpr=3 2262w" alt="Main goals of Scotland's national performance framework." /></a><figcaption><span class="caption">Main goals of Scotland’s national performance framework.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://nationalperformance.gov.scot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Scottish Government</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure> <hr /> <p>Public policy researcher <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-02230-3_3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jennifer Wallace</a> (and current director of the Carnegie UK Trust) says the Scottish experience:</p> <blockquote> <p>tells a strong story of how a focus on wellbeing can reorientate government by creating a shared language for public services and a sense of unity of purpose.</p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Not perfect, but a step in the right direction</strong></p> <p>New Zealand’s wellbeing budget is not a complete departure from a standard budget. It still has economic content and, like any set of papers produced by a government, cannot escape politics.</p> <p>Nonetheless it puts wellbeing spending at the forefront of the government’s most important policy statement of the year. It is working on measuring progress in more sophisticated ways than standard indicators such as GDP.</p> <p>It encourages departments and their ministers to prepare policy bids with a view to these priorities. It makes wellbeing a benchmark by which to judge the budget – even by critics.</p> <p>New Zealand has long been a budget innovator. It led the world in introducing outcomes and outputs budgeting – categorising spending according to desired results rather than inputs such as staff and buildings. This is now considered standard good practice for a developed country.</p> <p>In Australia the wellbeing budget could turn out to be an equally useful model – though there will always be more work to be done.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/186725/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/stephen-bartos-901192" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Bartos</a>, Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-canberra-865" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Canberra</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-wellbeing-budget-what-we-can-and-cant-learn-from-nz-186725" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

Money & Banking

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Vaccine status no longer required

<p dir="ltr">International travellers to Australia will no longer be required to submit their covid vaccine status.</p> <p dir="ltr">Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly amended the Biosecurity Act 2015 which will come into effect from July 6.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Australian Government makes decisions on COVID related issues after considering the latest medical advice,” Health Minister Mark Butler said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The Chief Medical Officer has advised it is no longer necessary for travellers to declare their vaccine status as part of our management of COVID.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Unvaccinated Australians, as well as certain groups of visa holders, have been able to travel to Australia for some time.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We will continue to act on the medical advice as needed.” </p> <p dir="ltr">Travellers however must still comply with the Covid-19 rules of airlines, including states and territories, and other countries.</p> <p dir="ltr">This currently includes wearing masks on inbound international flights. State and territory orders mandating masks on domestic flights also remain in place.</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

International Travel

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New Air NZ exhibit celebrates Māori culture

<p dir="ltr">A new exhibition promises to take visitors through the skies of New Zealand by combining virtual reality with the real world.</p> <p dir="ltr">The exhibition, launched by Air New Zealand, sees a virtual version of Pou Tikanga, Pou Pūrākau (cultural leader, storyteller) Joe Harawira take guests through the story of Matariki, the celebration of the Māori new year.</p> <p dir="ltr">"Attendees will board the waka rererangi (canoe in the sky) to visit the Guardians Tanē Mahuta (forest), Tangaroa (sea), Papatūānuku (land), and Ranginui (sky) to experience the Matariki story, all without moving an inch,” Air New Zealand Senior Cultural Development Manager Jahmaine Cummings-Hodge said in a <a href="https://www.airnewzealand.com.au/join-araraurangi-air-new-zealand-in-the-waka-rererangi-for-a-matariki-journey" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.</p> <p dir="ltr">"A full 3D virtual version of Joe has been created which appears in the experience at a human scale. We have also replicated the carved waka in its entirety digitally using similar techniques, mimicking intricate carvings and textures."</p> <p dir="ltr">A combination of facial motion capture, photogrammetry, and scanning techniques was used to bring the virtual versions of Joe and the waka to life, which can be viewed using Magic Leap headsets.</p> <p dir="ltr">The technology used by Magic Leap layers digital objects onto the real world, meaning that light enters the eye just like it would if a real object were being viewed.</p> <p dir="ltr">The virtual reality experience comes after the airline worked with Harawira for a new safety video celebrating Māori culture, released in May this year, and as part of the company’s efforts to support te ao Māori (the Māori worldview).</p> <p dir="ltr">"As the national carrier, Air New Zealand has a responsibility to demonstrate an authentic and holistic support of Māori culture,” Cummings-Hodge said.</p> <p dir="ltr">The experience, launched at the Canterbury Museum on June 18-19, will be live at Te Puia in Rotorua from June 22.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-73e10ed5-7fff-2715-1fe5-c9fa598026d9"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: @canterburymuseum (Instagram)</em></p>

Domestic Travel

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Why you don’t want to see “SSSS” on your boarding pass

<p dir="ltr">A man has explained what happens at the airport when “SSSS” is stamped on a boarding pass.</p> <p dir="ltr">Stewart Jackson, from London attempted to check-in online for his New York bound flight to see his girlfriend.</p> <p dir="ltr">After several attempts, Stewart decided it would be okay if he went to the airport early and check-in there.</p> <p dir="ltr">While lining up, the stewardess asked passengers whether they had all their information ready to which he informed her that he was unable to complete his check-in.</p> <p dir="ltr">She took him to the side and checked his boarding pass before informing him that he was randomly selected for additional security screening. </p> <p dir="ltr">The code SSSS stands for “Secondary Security Screening Selection” and is usually done on inbound flights to the USA. </p> <p dir="ltr">“She assured me this was nothing to worry about and was purely random. It would be a search at the London end of the journey before boarding and not in New York as I’d initially feared,” Stewart said. </p> <p dir="ltr">When the screening takes place, an officer will look at the luggage, the passenger will be patted down, a swab for explosives will be conducted in the bags as well. </p> <p dir="ltr">The passenger may be asked to provide further identification and explain the reasoning for their travels.</p> <p dir="ltr">“This all happened in the waiting area before we actually boarded, so it didn’t delay me getting on the plane.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Australian passport plummets to the bottom tier

<p dir="ltr">Australia’s passport has given a remarkably low score, making it one of the least valuable in the world. </p> <p dir="ltr">An analysis by travel website ParkSleepFly looked at the best and worst value for money passports, with the focus placed on the overall cost of the document compared to the freedom of movement it provides.</p> <p dir="ltr">The final result gave Australia's passport a ranking of 43 out of 48 countries - the sixth-worst value for money passport with a passport value score of only 2.56/10.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other countries that unexpectedly ranked higher than Australia included Romania (2.77) and the  Caribbean island Barbados (2.66).</p> <p dir="ltr">Australia did however come in the top 10 for the equal best mobility score, in which passport holders are able to travel to 103 countries visa-free and 53 countries where a visa is required on arrival.</p> <p dir="ltr">Other countries that scored worse than Australia are: Lichtenstein (1.06), San Marino (1.92), Mexico (1.92), Canada (2.13) and Chile (2.13).</p> <p dir="ltr">New Zealand’s passport did a lot better than Australia’s after being given a ranking of 29 out of the 48 countries. </p> <p dir="ltr">The world’s top 10 best value passports are:</p> <ol> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">United Arab Emirates</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Sweden</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">South Korea</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Spain</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Luxembourg</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Hungary</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Slovakia</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Austria</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Latvia</p> </li> <li dir="ltr" aria-level="1"> <p dir="ltr" role="presentation">Germany</p> </li> </ol> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Shutterstock</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Check before you fly: Woman warns others after tiny passport detail causes nightmare

<p dir="ltr">An Aussie woman has issued a warning to fellow travellers after a tiny detail on her passport stopped her from moving to New Zealand and made for an upsetting and expensive experience.</p> <p dir="ltr">Lindsey Gray planned to relocate from Sydney in March with her partner and one-year-old son, who are already New Zealand citizens.</p> <p dir="ltr">After months of waiting for a travel permit, Ms Gray was finally allowed to move - but she only made it to Sydney’s international airport before the problems started.</p> <p dir="ltr">Immigration officials noticed that a couple of pages in Ms Gray’s passport had some minor damage that prevented her from boarding the plane.</p> <p dir="ltr">Speaking to <em><a href="https://au.news.yahoo.com/tiny-passport-detail-sees-family-denied-from-overseas-move-081850947.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Yahoo News</a></em>, Ms Gray said her young toddler must have found her passport and chewed the edges at some point during the chaos of moving country.</p> <p dir="ltr">“When [New Zealand immigration officials] saw the nibble on my passport, they were 100 percent unimpressed,” she told the outlet.</p> <p dir="ltr">“They told me it could have been tampered with and therefore I would not be allowed to travel.”</p> <p dir="ltr">She explained that since New Zealand borders were closed at the time, her passport had to be checked over by an immigration official “rather than just scanned by the Qantas staff”, and that’s when the damage was noticed.</p> <p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3fa31951-7fff-86c6-8162-f1075542ade0"></span></p> <p dir="ltr">After rushing to secure an emergency appointment to obtain a new passport - costing a hefty $533 - and undergoing more Covid testing, Ms Gray and her family were able to book new flights and fly out the next day.</p> <p dir="ltr"><img src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/2022/04/nz21.jpg" alt="" width="512" height="431" /></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Lindsey Gray, her partner Matt, and her son Douglas successfully made the move to New Zealand. Image: Yahoo News</em></p> <p dir="ltr">The Aussie mum praised Qantas staff and the passport office staff for their compassion while helping with her case, but said the experience was still incredibly upsetting.</p> <p dir="ltr">“We had our house on the market and all our possessions already shipped to New Zealand and therefore we were effectively homeless in Australia,” she told Yahoo News.</p> <p dir="ltr">Ms Gray also joked that as a result of the experience, “my puffy, distressed, cry-face is now my passport image for the next 10 years”.</p> <p dir="ltr">“The story is immortalised and commemorated in this way,” she added.</p> <p dir="ltr">She warned other “out-of-practice travellers” to take care of their passports to avoid having the same experience as her.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Please don’t get the photo page of your passport damaged in any way, people,” she said.</p> <p dir="ltr">“Big lesson for out-of-practice travellers here - check that puppy for damage before flying.”</p> <p dir="ltr"><span id="docs-internal-guid-4beb5f93-7fff-bad4-fe66-eb12d1e05cb6"></span></p> <p dir="ltr"><em>Image: Yahoo News</em></p>

Travel Trouble

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Aus-NZ refugee deal is a bandage on a failed policy

<p>Australia has finally accepted New Zealand’s offer to settle some of the refugees from the <a href="https://www.kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/sites/kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/files/factsheet_offshore_processing_overview.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">offshore processing</a> regime – about nine years after it was first made in 2013.</p> <p>The NZ deal will provide certainty for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/mar/24/australia-agrees-450-refugees-can-be-resettled-in-new-zealand-nine-years-after-deal-first-offered" target="_blank" rel="noopener">450 people</a> who have been in limbo, many for more than a decade.</p> <p>But in the March 24 <a href="https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/KarenAndrews/Pages/australia-new-zealand-resettlement-arrangement.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a>, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews made clear the deal does not change Australia’s <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australia-and-new-zealand-reach-refugee-resettlement-agreement/20vyv2d8w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hard-line approach</a>.</p> <p>This makes the deal a bandage on a <a href="https://www.kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/sites/kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/files/Policy_Brief_11_Offshore_Processing.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed policy</a> that continues to haemorrhage cash, destroy lives and erode the international system for refugee protection.</p> <p><strong>Who is – and isn’t – included in the NZ deal?</strong></p> <p>The original offer, made by the then NZ Prime Minister John Key in 2013, was refused by the Australian government until now. The Coalition government claimed the deal could be a “<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/01/decision-to-bring-children-from-nauru-an-admission-of-failure-by-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pull factor</a>” for asylum seekers coming by boat to Australia.</p> <p>Under the agreement, NZ will settle up to 150 of Australia’s “offshore processing” refugees per year for three years. These refugees arrived in Australia by sea between 2012 and 2014 and were sent to Nauru or Manus Island “offshore processing” detention centres.</p> <p>The deal can include the <a href="https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/about-us-subsite/files/population-and-number-of-people-resettled.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">112 people</a> who are in Nauru or those temporarily in Australia under offshore processing arrangements.</p> <p>Some <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/en-au/news/press/2022/3/623a66584/unhcr-news-comment-on-the-australia-new-zealand-refugee-deal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1,100</a> people have been returned temporarily to Australia, mostly for medical treatment. They mostly live in the community with <a href="https://www.amnesty.org.au/potential-return-of-refugees-and-people-seeking-asylum-to-nauru-and-png-proof-of-policy-failure/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">no support and insecure visa status</a> but some remain in detention.</p> <p>Those already being considered for settlement to another country, such as the United States or Canada, aren’t eligible for the NZ program.</p> <p>More than 100 men who remain in Papua New Guinea aren’t included in this deal.</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> <p dir="ltr" lang="en">The always wise, always insightful <a href="https://twitter.com/BehrouzBoochani?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BehrouzBoochani</a> on Australia, the NZ refugee resettlement offer, and why it took nine years...<a href="https://t.co/IdxPBGpAz0">https://t.co/IdxPBGpAz0</a></p> <p>— Ben Doherty (@BenDohertyCorro) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenDohertyCorro/status/1508944829509926915?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 29, 2022</a></p></blockquote> <p>Under current known arrangements, people remaining in PNG could be <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/mar/25/australia-new-zealand-refugee-deal-everything-we-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">referred</a> by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to NZ through its regular refugee programme.</p> <p>Even after the NZ and US options are exhausted, it’s estimated at least <a href="https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/australians-welcome-nzs-generosity-to-refugees-in-offshore-processing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">500 refugees will be without a solution</a>.</p> <p>And they’re not the only ones. There are some <a href="https://www.kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/sites/kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/files/Factsheet_Legacy%20Caseload_final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">30,000 people</a> in what’s called the “legacy caseload” who arrived by sea between 2012 and 2014 and weren’t transferred to Nauru and PNG. They remain in Australia subject to harmful measures. They’re stuck in limbo on temporary visas, unable to reunify with family members, and receive <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/urgent-call-government-protect-asylum-seekers-and-refugees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inadequate support</a> to secure housing or health care.</p> <p><strong>Australia distorts the global refugee system</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.refworld.org/docid/51af82794.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Australia has primary responsibility</a> for refugees who seek its protection. The Australian government has repeatedly tried and failed to find countries willing to settle refugees it refuses to protect. It reportedly offered multiple countries, from the Philippines to Kyrgyzstan, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/may/08/australias-refugee-deal-a-farce-after-us-rejects-all-iranian-and-somali-asylum-seekers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">millions of dollars</a> to settle refugees from Australia’s offshore camps – without success.</p> <p>Resettlement to a third country is an important solution, available to less than 1% of refugees globally whose lives, liberty, safety, health or other fundamental rights are at risk <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/46f7c0ee2.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in the country where they have sought refuge</a>. This isn’t the case for refugees seeking asylum in Australia, where there’s a well-established asylum system.</p> <p>It’s difficult to think of the NZ solution as “resettlement” in its true meaning.</p> <p>Resettlement places are important to <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/en-au/news/press/2021/6/60d32ba44/un-refugee-agency-releases-2022-resettlement-needs.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relieve pressure on developing countries</a> that host almost 90% of the world’s refugees. Conflicts in Syria, Yemen, Myanmar, South Sudan, Afghanistan, plus now Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, have created a need for resettlement in a third country for almost <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/en-au/news/press/2021/6/60d32ba44/un-refugee-agency-releases-2022-resettlement-needs.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.5 million</a> refugees worldwide. Resettlement has been disrupted over the last two years due to COVID, leaving even more people in urgent need.</p> <p>Under these extraordinary “refugee deals” with the US and NZ, the Australian government is trying to solve a political problem of its own making at the expense of people in desperate need.</p> <p>Like Australia, the US and NZ offer only a limited number of resettlement spots each year. When these spots go to Australia’s refugees, who are Australia’s responsibility, someone else misses out.</p> <p><strong>Continuing damage</strong></p> <p>This is Australia’s second go at offshore processing. Its first iteration, the “Pacific Solution”, lasted from 2001 until 2008. The second commenced in 2012 and continues.</p> <p>Offshore processing remains costly. Australian taxpayers have spent, on average, around <a href="https://www.kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/sites/kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/files/Policy_Brief_11_Offshore_Processing.pdf#page=14&amp;zoom=auto,-135,786" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A$1 billion per year</a> to maintain offshore processing since 2014.</p> <p>This is despite a dramatic drop in the number of people held in Nauru and PNG. At the peak in April 2014, Australia detained a total of 2,450 people. By December 2021, there were <a href="https://www.refugeecouncil.org.au/operation-sovereign-borders-offshore-detention-statistics/2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">219 people remaining offshore in Nauru and PNG</a>.</p> <p>People transferred to Manus Island and Nauru suffered mandatory and indefinite detention in harsh conditions. Their treatment has been called out by the United Nations repeatedly as <a href="https://www.unhcr.org/en-au/united-nations-observations.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cruel and inhuman</a> and described by Amnesty International as <a href="https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/checkpoint/audio/2018835563/amnesty-international-celebrates-deal-for-nz-to-take-refugees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">torture</a>.</p> <p>The abuse of men, women and children in offshore processing centres has been thoroughly documented in a <a href="https://docs.wixstatic.com/ugd/b743d9_e4413cb72e1646d8bd3e8a8c9a466950.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">communiqué</a> to the International Criminal Court, <a href="https://bills.parliament.uk/publications/43063/documents/791#page=27&amp;zoom=auto,-134,1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">parliamentary inquiries</a> and domestic legal challenges.</p> <p>Australia’s offshore processing sets a bad regional precedent for <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/20160913_Pathways_to_Protection.pdf#page=20&amp;zoom=page-fit,-625,841" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refugee protection in Southeast Asia</a> and beyond.</p> <p>The policy objective of using cruelty as a deterrent to “stop the boats” and “save lives at sea” didn’t work. If boats didn’t arrive, this was due to Australia’s <a href="https://www.kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/sites/kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/files/Policy_Brief_11_Offshore_Processing.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interception and turnback of boats at sea</a>.</p> <p><strong>What needs to change?</strong></p> <p>Refugee policy can be <a href="https://www.kaldorcentre.unsw.edu.au/publication/principles-australian-refugee-policy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">principled</a> and driven by compassion while protecting borders and respecting international law.</p> <p>Australia should formally end offshore processing. The small number of people still held offshore in Nauru and PNG should be transferred back to Australia.</p> <p>Everyone who has been subject to the policy since 2012 who doesn’t have a permanent solution could be offered settlement in Australia. This <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/about_parliament/parliamentary_departments/parliamentary_library/pubs/bn/2012-2013/pacificsolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener">occurred</a> in the first iteration of offshore processing and could happen again.</p> <p>Money and lives can be saved.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/180241/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /></p> <p><em><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/natasha-yacoub-1259499" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Natasha Yacoub</a>, International refugee lawyer and scholar, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/unsw-sydney-1414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNSW Sydney</a></em></p> <p><em>This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/aus-nz-refugee-deal-is-a-bandage-on-a-failed-policy-its-time-to-end-offshore-processing-180241" target="_blank" rel="noopener">original article</a>.</em></p> <p><em>Image: Getty Images</em></p>

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