{
  "$type": "site.standard.document",
  "bskyPostRef": {
    "cid": "bafyreicmqiphphapkuyz5u3m24ryuui4d4rvst4ywhwkqho3oox2e2mb4a",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:sl2hrcwo6voaorzsr26d3bo2/app.bsky.feed.post/3meov7cjn4hx2"
  },
  "coverImage": {
    "$type": "blob",
    "ref": {
      "$link": "bafkreigtu4teufpt4gc6hsz425nzdehlfqv3l7m4rfuiq3lijdvoolqabu"
    },
    "mimeType": "image/png",
    "size": 1975915
  },
  "description": "10 News Stories They Chose Not to Tell You",
  "path": "/your-daily-ten-10-2026-024/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-12T21:00:50.000Z",
  "site": "https://goodoil.news",
  "tags": [
    "Read More",
    "Subscribe now"
  ],
  "textContent": "**This is edition 2026/024 of the _Ten@10_ newsletter.**\n\nHi all,\n\nThis is the Ten@10, where I collate and summarise ten news items you generally won't see in the mainstream media.\n\nEnjoy!\n\n* * *\n\n## Rot: Taxpayers are paying for special unlimited paid leave for Māori staff\n\nAni O'Brien\n\n  * 🐝 Duncan Garner sparked controversy by reporting that Māori staff at Oranga Tamariki can access effectively unlimited discretionary paid cultural leave unavailable to others.\n  * 📜 The Oranga Tamariki + APEX collective agreement includes a clause granting paid discretionary leave specifically for “Kaimahi Māori” for cultural obligations such as marae roles, iwi meetings, and performances.\n  * ⚖️ The author argues the entitlement is explicitly race-based, taxpayer-funded, and lacks a defined annual cap, making it difficult to budget and govern.\n  * 🔄 Although the agreement expired in December 2024, its terms continue to operate in practice until replaced, meaning the provision remains active.\n  * 🧾 A PSA memo states cultural obligations are best defined by Māori staff themselves, reinforcing that the leave is open-ended and manager approval is unlikely to be declined.\n  * 🕊️ The agreement also includes Māori-specific bereavement provisions (“He Wā Pouri”) that are not time-bound, loosening standard leave rules when tikanga is invoked.\n  * 🏛️ Comparisons with other agencies (DOC, Ministry of Education, Te Puni Kōkiri) suggest most embed tikanga and te reo culturally, but tie financial benefits to skills or duties rather than ethnicity.\n  * 🌿 However, the Ministry for the Environment also appears to provide Māori-specific leave entitlements and te reo allowances, raising similar governance concerns.\n  * 💰 Cost modelling estimates the policy could cost between $1.7m and $10m annually at Oranga Tamariki, depending on uptake and backfill assumptions.\n  * 👶 The author argues that redirecting those funds could employ 35–120 additional frontline social workers, increasing support for vulnerable children.\n  * 😠 Concerns are raised about workplace resentment, burnout, and potential conflicts with anti-discrimination principles under the Human Rights Act.\n  * 🏛️ Minister Karen Chhour inherited the agreement and cannot easily remove the clause without triggering difficult union renegotiations, making reform politically complex.\n  * 🔥 The conclusion calls for future renegotiation to remove race-based clauses and potentially legislate against embedding racial entitlements in public-sector agreements.\n\n\n\nRead More\n\n### This post is for subscribers only\n\nBecome a member to get access to all content\n\nSubscribe now",
  "title": "Your Daily Ten@10 - 2026/024",
  "updatedAt": "2026-02-12T21:00:50.000Z"
}