13 February 2012
Skycity profits from pushing legal boundaries

SkyCity’s willingness to push the boundaries of New Zealand legislation is responsible for both poor mental and physical health outcomes, Green Party gambling spokesperson Denise Roche said today.

The Cancer Society is suing the Government for allowing gamblers to smoke at SkyCity casino.

“SkyCity’s profit of $66 million, announced today, show that this corporation has benefited from circumventing legislation designed to make New Zealand a healthier place,” said Ms Roche.

“Circumventing New Zealand’s smokefree laws to allow casino patrons to smoke while they play poker machines has only made our gambling problem worse.

“A few louvered windows don’t make an outdoor environment.

“The Ministry of Health’s decision in 2011 to allow SkyCity to have an ‘open air’ area is also bad for the health of workers within SkyCity

“The smokefree legislation was not only aimed at improving our environment it was meant to keep workers safe from the dangers of second hand smoking.”

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On Failures Of Care For Those With Mental Disabilities

Hard to imagine a more disturbing insight into the treatment of the vulnerable than the Health Ministry report on Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau. The Ministry has found that the country’s only kaupapa Maori intellectual disability residential care provider has been “seriously dysfunctional.”

The ministry says the business has failed to recruit and retain quality staff – and says the kaimahi (caregivers) that have been employed are seriously unsuitable for the job, lacking basic knowledge. But Te Roopu Taurima o Manukau doesn’t get all the blame. The report says there’s a significant gap under disability laws to ensure there’s oversight by qualified clinical professionals. More>>