Researcher Lindsay Mitchell argues that the law fails to hold fathers financially accountable for their children, leading to an "amoral" system that contrasts with the original moral basis of social security law. ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏

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Father where art thou? The toll of legally unaccountable fathers on children and families

Researcher Lindsay Mitchell writes that a law change in 2020 repealing section 70a of New Zealand’s Social Security Act made fathers less accountable by allowing mothers to apply for sole parent benefits without naming the child’s father for child support collection.

“The last Labour government made fathers increasingly irrelevant,” she writes.

28 December 2024

AI system achieves human-level performance on general intelligence test

OpenAI’s new artificial intelligence (AI) system o3 model scored 85% on a test that is designed to measure “general intelligence.” This marks “a notable improvement” over the previous AI best of 55%, and is on par with the average human score.

This breakthrough has raised the possibility of achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), which is the goal of many major AI research labs.

28 December 2024

Report proposes bold reforms to tackle local government dysfunction

Nick Clark’s NZ Initiative report Making Local Government Work, aims to address growing dysfunction within several New Zealand councils.

Examples of this dysfunction include Wellington City Council’s requirement for a Crown Observer due to rising internal conflicts, Carterton District Council’s attempt to exclude an elected representative, and issues in Waitomo and Gore Districts stemming from governance failures and poor leadership.

28 December 2024

New research reveals ‘CO₂ saturation point’, suggesting benefits for plant life and minimal warming impact

Recent scientific studies suggest that carbon dioxide (CO₂) levels may have reached a “saturation point.” This means little additional warming, but potentially providing benefits to plant growth and global food production.

The research, led by scientists from Taiwan, Austria, and Poland, argues that beyond a certain concentration, typically around 400 parts per million (ppm), CO₂ does not significantly increase global temperatures.

28 December 2024

Short bursts of high-intensity activity daily can profoundly impact heart health

New research reveals that two or three minutes of vigorous daily exercise can reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events.

The study challenges the conventional belief that only sustained, structured exercise offers health benefits.

These short, intense bursts—like climbing stairs quickly or sprinting to catch a bus—are now recognised as an important factor in improving heart health.