We don't really see the street. Most of us don't even look. Kids look, as I'm about to find out, but we adults, most of us walk on by, our attention fixed on anything other than that dude over there

The idea that New Zealand has become one of the most unequal societies in the developed world is just not supported by the data, writes Brian Fallow.

A doctor's certificate is often a ticket to social welfare. From this week it becomes a recipe for work. At least - that's the hope.

Identification numbers attached to children as young as three could be used to track and punish their parents.

Drug and alcohol addicts may face longer waiting times for treatment.

Sickness will be at best only a temporary excuse to avoid work under the new welfare regime that came into force this week.

School ball costs have soared as social pressure leads more girls to spend up to $300 in salons.

Doctors have been told that putting patients on welfare is akin to putting them on "an addictive debilitating drug ... not dissimilar to smoking".

An welfare advocacy group is warning that thousands of Kiwis will suffer under newly implemented changes to the beneficiary system.

Devaluing the outsider is probably the most common cult-like behaviour in everyday society, but it's not so easy to identify one's own crazy faults, writes Deborah Hill Cone.

A couple embroiled in a battle with Immigration to prove their love is real are moving to the South Island to keep their dream of remaining in the country alive.

Editorial: The SkyCity convention centre project is a gamble for all involved. But the die is cast, so let's back the country to get it right.

Hopefully the agreed provisions in the bylaw for socially responsible intervention to deal with the problem of begging will remain intact. writes Mike Lee.

The Govt says it's on track to reach all 10 of its public-sector targets on welfare, crime and health - but admits there could be some "bumps" on the way.

Mick Brown is the little boy lost saved by a loving foster family, who went on to spend his adult life giving back.

About one in six Australians cannot afford to rent a home, with young families - especially single parents with children - among the worst affected, new reports show.

Instead of recriminalising begging, a better guide is the Homeless Action Plan the old Auckland City Council initiated in 2005, writes Brian Rudman.

A publisher was "gobsmacked" to receive a complaint about using a Maori greeting in an email to a prospective client.

It takes all sorts to make a city, and every large city in the world has beggars. Auckland is lucky - we have fewer than most.

It's not just beggars who are coming in for attention - the Auckland Council is also considering changes to the rules around charity collectors, who approach people on city streets asking for donations.

Sixty per cent of parents of Kiwi preschoolers are concerned at the amount of TV advertising targeting their children, a study has found.

A crackdown on beggars in Auckland has the support of police, who believe it could reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.