Withdrawal: The alcohol industry, the government, and the alleged defamation of public health advocates: A New Zealand case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 588-588 ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (8) ◽  
pp. 1483-1488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabrielle Jenkin ◽  
Louise Signal ◽  
George Thomson

AbstractObjectiveIn the context of the global obesity epidemic, national nutrition policies have come under scrutiny. The present paper examines whose interests – industry or public health – are served by these policies and why.DesignUsing an exemplary case study of submissions to an inquiry into obesity, the research compared the positions of industry and public health groups with that taken by government. We assessed whether the interests were given equal consideration (a pluralist model of influence) or whether the interests of one group were favoured over the other (a neo-pluralist model).Setting2006 New Zealand Inquiry into Obesity.SubjectsFood and advertising industry and public health submitters.ResultsThe Government's position was largely aligned with industry interests in three of four policy domains: the national obesity strategy; food industry policy; and advertising and marketing policies. The exception to this was nutrition policy in schools, where the Government's position was aligned with public health interests. These findings support the neo-pluralist model of interest group influence.ConclusionsThe dominance of the food industry in national nutrition policy needs to be addressed. It is in the interests of the public, industry and the state that government regulates the food and advertising industries and limits the involvement of industry in policy making. Failure to do so will be costly for individuals, in terms of poor health and earlier death, costly to governments in terms of the associated health costs, and costly to both the government and industry due to losses in human productivity.


Author(s):  
Youngjun Park ◽  
Haekwon Chung ◽  
Sohyun Park

Aim: This study explores the changes in regular walking activities during the phases of the pandemic. Background: With the spread of COVID-19 transmission, people are refraining from going out, reducing their physical activity. In South Korea, COVID-19 broke out in the 4th week of 2020 and experienced the first cycle phases of the pandemic, such as outbreak, widespread, and decline. In response to the pandemic, the government encouraged voluntary participation in social distancing campaigns, and people reduced their outside activities. Methods: This article examines the decrease and increase of the Prevalence of Regular Walking (≥30 min of moderate walking a day, on ≥5 days a week) by the COVID-19 phases. This study is based on weekly walking data for 15 weeks in 2020, via the smartphone healthcare app, which is managed by 25 public health offices of the Seoul government. Results: According to the findings, the level of prevalence of regular walking (PRW) has a significant difference before and after the outbreak, and every interval of the four-stage COVID-19 phases, that is, pre-pandemic, initiation, acceleration, and deceleration. The level of PRW sharply decreased during initiation and acceleration intervals. In the deceleration interval of COVID-19, the PRW kept increasing, but it has not yet reached the same level as the previous year when the COVID-19 did not exist. Conclusions: As a preliminary study, this study explains empirically how COVID-19 changed PRW in Seoul. It would be helpful to enhance our understanding of the changes in physical inactivity in the pandemic period.


Author(s):  
Jocelyn Williams

This chapter discusses community outcomes of free home Internet access. It draws on case study research on Computers in Homes (CIH), a scheme established in New Zealand in 2000 for the purpose of bridging the digital divide, particularly for low-income families who have school-aged children. The government-funded CIH scheme aims to strengthen relationships between families and schools, improve educational outcomes for children, and provide greater opportunities for their parents. CIH achieves this by working with many primary (elementary) schools, each of which selects 25 families who will benefit from the program. Each family receives a refurbished computer, software, and six months free Internet, as well as twenty hours of free IT training and technical support so that all adults are equipped to make effective use of the Internet. The scheme has evolved to deliver much more than technology. It has become a contributor to social capital in the communities where it has been established. This chapter uses a case study research approach to demonstrate and theorize this process of community building using a construct of social cohesion, which appears to be strengthened by the CIH intervention. Where stronger social networks, volunteerism, and civic engagement were documented in the research, leader figures also mobilized to act on shared goals. These findings highlight the value of existing social resources within communities for achieving community goals while also maximizing community Internet longevity.


Leadership ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 279-293 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suze Wilson

This case study analyses the leadership approach and practices of the New Zealand government, led by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, in the response thus far to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reports on how a shared sense of purpose has been established, that of minimizing harm to lives and livelihoods, for which the government has sought – and secured – New Zealanders’ commitment. Key leadership practices comprise the government’s willingness to themselves be led by expertise, its efforts to mobilise the population, and to enable coping, all of which serve to build the trust in leadership needed for transformative, collective action such as the pandemic demands. At the time of writing, New Zealand appears well on track to achieve its ambitious goal of achieving rapid and complete control over the COVID-19 outbreak – not just ‘flattening the curve’ as other countries are struggling to do – at least in part due to these leadership contributions. A framework of good practices for pandemic leadership is offered drawn from this case study, in the hope transferable lessons can be taken to aid others in the continuing struggle to limit the harm COVID-19 poses to lives and livelihoods throughout the world.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Thuy Tran

<p><b>Public governance in many countries has been moving toward a model called New Public Governance (NPG) to deal with the increasing complexity in the provision of public services. NPG adopts a new perspective that emphasises the importance of managing the interaction between and among organisations within and outside the government to achieve efficiency and effectiveness of public policy and service delivery. The interdependent relationships of these cross-working organisations are reflected in their accountability processes. Thus, a robust accountability system is central to managing public governance. However, accountability is complicated, and its definition is regularly debated. Accountability is even more intricate in network relationships where it is challenging to identify who has contributed in what way. However, research on accountability in networks is limited.</b></p> <p>To contribute to the understanding of the problems of accountability in public governance, this study examines the nature of accountability and evaluates the discharge of accountability in the provision of public services in practice, using a case study of refugee resettlement in New Zealand. The following research question is addressed, “What is the nature of the accountability relationships between different parties involved in, or affected by, the provision of social services to former refugees in New Zealand?”. In answering this question, the study developed a research framework that was built on insights from prior literature and stakeholder theories and employed a case study approach that analysed 32 semi-structured interviews and a range of documents related to refugee resettlement in New Zealand.</p> <p>The study finds that the current accountability system has not reflected the broader conception of multiple and interrelated accountability relationships identified in the literature on NPG. Upward accountability to powerful stakeholders is mostly prioritised, downward accountability to beneficiaries has not significantly improved, and horizontal accountability to cross-working partners is limited. The tensions between a bureaucratic need for control and a more devolved governance model that allows for the recognition of multiple contributions to both policy formation and implementation are still strong. Moving from the New Public Management (NPM) perspective involving control over public money, still codified in the Public Finance Act 1989, to something closer to NPG is evidently not easy.</p> <p>iiThe key academic contribution of this study is in adding an important piece to the nearly “empty land” of horizontal accountability research, providing an understanding of how accountability mechanisms are used in practice, and raising the voices of less powerful stakeholders about the discharge of accountability by social service providers. Regarding its practical contributions, the study provides a typical case study for research on accountability of non-government organisations (NGOs) in an NPG context, which can be valuable for policymakers wishing to develop policies that lead to an improvement in the appropriate expectations in NPG and accountability relationships between different parties in the delivery of social services. It also provides recommendations for the government, NGOs, and refugee communities for achieving greater accountability.</p>


2009 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 325-339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Goldsmith

AbstractMichael Brown famously asked ‘Who owns native culture?’ This paper revisits that question by analyzing what happens to culture when the culturally defined boundary between it and nature becomes salient in the context of disputes between indigenous and settler populations. My case study is the dispute between the New Zealand government and Maori tribal groupings concerning ownership of the foreshore and seabed. Having been granted the right to test their claims in court in 2003, Maori groups were enraged when the government legislated the right out of existence in 2004. Though the reasons for doing so were clearly political, contrasting cultural assumptions appeared to set Maori and Pakeha (New Zealanders of European origin) at odds. While couching ownership of part of nature as an IPR issue may seem counter-intuitive, I argue that as soon as a property claim destabilizes the nature/culture boundary, IPR discourse becomes pertinent.


World ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-138
Author(s):  
Asif Hussain ◽  
Francesc Fusté-Forné

The current pandemic (Covid-19) disrupted businesses and challenged societies all over the world. In particular, destinations are being urged to keep the attraction and value of their products and services in post-pandemic tourism recovery programs. Drawing from a qualitative study based on published reports and research, and using participant observation, this research analyses the situation of tourism in Akaroa, South Island of New Zealand, during the coronavirus outbreak and the first stages of the recovery process. Results of the research show that while crisis management led to the closure of the sector due to strict social and travel restrictions, the confinement measures adopted by the government and the progressive reopening of the country has resulted in a shift from “cruise tourism” into a gradual return of “domestic tourism”. This paper argues that local peoples’ perspectives must be kept in mind when developing a tourism recovery strategy. This case study also shows that because of the nature of changing working environment, there is potential to change local demography in the form of an increase in residents putting pressure on local infrastructure. In a rural and marine environment, local stakeholders’ attention is required to focus on “quality” of tourism rather than “quantity”. Nature-based resources and outdoor activities are expected to be the critical ingredients for tourism’s immediate and sustainable future.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 63-70
Author(s):  
Darmin Tuwu

Health is an important basic capital for humans to be able to function socially. Without good physical and mental health conditions, humans find it difficult to get happiness in life. Efforts to maintain and improve public health continue to be carried out, both by the government and by the community through health activities and programs. This paper aims to explore the contribution of the Hope Family Program (HFP) and the Madani Brotherhood Program (MBP) in improving public health, as well as the factors that influence it in Kendari City. The research method used is a qualitative method with a case study approach. The focus of this study is the recipients of the Family Hope Program and the Madani Brotherhood Program, where the majority of them are poor families. The results showed that: First, MBP was more effective in improving public health than HFP. This is because the community health improvement program carried out by the community is easier to implement and more sustainable in nature. Second, the factors that influence the success and failure in the implementation of the program in Kendari City are: first, the legal rules underlying the program; second, human resource factors, third, funding support factors; and finally is a factor of the values underlying the implementation of the program.


Author(s):  
Niransha Rodrigo ◽  
◽  
Suzanne Wilkinson ◽  

The New Zealand government, following the Canterbury earthquakes 2010-2011, adopted new ways to rebuild the city. Given an opportunity to find solutions to pre-existing issues in the city, the government was keen to rebuild faster and better. The blueprint that was finalised mid-2012, had 17 anchor projects to lead its rebuilding efforts along with governance and legislative changes to facilitate rebuilding. Drawing on past literature using the case study of Canterbury earthquakes 2010-2011, this paper first reviews the rebuilding process in Christchurch. 14 face to face interviews were held with those involved in and subjected to these governance and structural changes. The study suggests the complex post-disaster environment limit the effectiveness of the imposed changes. Rebuilding efforts were hindered by the absence of a proper legislative framework, the ambiguity in defining roles and responsibilities of recovery agents, the time-pressure to rebuild resulting in hasty planning, limited public involvement in rebuilding and the lack of strategic relevance to ensure the outcomes are accepted by the public and fit with the city’s image in the long run. It is recommended that future research focuses on implications of post-disaster rebuilding practices on the wider community, businesses, and the government.


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