Ellen O'Dwyer

Wellington

Reporter and Producer at Radio New Zealand (RNZ)

Reporter + Producer for RNZ's Morning Report, previously @theipaper in London and @NZstuff

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Articles

Stuff

2 weeks ago | stuff.co.nz | Ellen O'Dwyer
NZDF removes entry requirements in bid to boost numbers

2 weeks ago | rnz.co.nz | Ellen O'Dwyer

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has made it easier for people to apply for a job in a bid to get more boots on the ground. Documents obtained by RNZ show last year it quietly removed some entry requirements for NCEA levels 1 and 2. To apply to train as an army combat specialist, auto-technician and plumber, a navy diver and logistic specialist, and an air force firefighter - among other roles - now requires three years of high school up to year 11, instead of passing Level 1 credits.
Stuff

1 month ago | stuff.co.nz | Ellen O'Dwyer
Are you allowed to talk with your colleagues about what you're paid?

1 month ago | rnz.co.nz | Ellen O'Dwyer

A member's bill currently before Parliament seeks to stop employers enforcing gag orders on workers talking about their salaries. Pay equity experts say New Zealand is woefully behind developed countries in terms of pay transparency, while critics of the bill say it could lead to tension between employees. Employers can put pay secrecy clauses in workers' contracts, preventing them from discussing their salaries with colleagues.
NZ navy may need to work with Australia to grow capability - experts

1 month ago | rnz.co.nz | Ellen O'Dwyer

New Zealand's navy has a critical need for equipment and staffing, defence experts are warning, with some saying it needs to align closer to the Royal Australian Navy. The government has signalled its intention to boost New Zealand's Defence spending beyond is current level of slightly more than 1 percent of GDP. Bethan Greener, acting director of the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies at Massey University, said the Royal New Zealand Navy in particular was at a crunch point for investment.
NZ navy may need to work with Australia to grow capability - experts

1 month ago | rnz.co.nz | Ellen O'Dwyer

New Zealand's navy has a critical need for equipment and staffing, defence experts are warning, with some saying it needs to align closer to the Royal Australian Navy. The government has signalled its intention to boost New Zealand's Defence spending beyond is current level of slightly more than 1 percent of GDP. Bethan Greener, acting director of the Centre for Defence and Strategic Studies at Massey University, said the Royal New Zealand Navy in particular was at a crunch point for investment.
MPI investigating complaint over school lunch programme

1 month ago | rnz.co.nz | Ellen O'Dwyer

The Ministry of Primary Industries is investigating a complaint about the school lunch programme. New Zealand Food Safety's deputy director general Vincent Arbuckle said the complaint was that special dietary meals- such as those for students with allergies - were labelled for the wrong student.
'It's pretty bad, I hate it': Hundreds of school lunches going uneaten

2 months ago | rnz.co.nz | Louise Ternouth |Ellen O'Dwyer

Another day, another Pita Pit delivery at Massey Primary School in West Auckland. "That was exciting the first day it turned up for our students, but I think naturally none of us eat the same thing for lunch seven days in a row, the novelty is wearing off," said school administrator Karen. It was supposed to be a temporary stop-gap whilst the government got on top of its revamped school lunch programme but today fed-up students had had enough and over 350 meals were left untouched.
RFK Jr's comments on deadly measles outbreak 'a complete lie' - Samoa's director-general of health

2 months ago | rnz.co.nz | Ellen O'Dwyer

Samoa's director general of health says Robert F Kennedy Junior's comments in the US Senate about the 2019 measles outbreak in Samoa are a "complete lie". The country's top doctor called the appointment of Kennedy as health secretary a "disaster for public health in the world". This week, Kennedy, US President Donald Trump's pick to be health secretary, was questioned in senate hearings over his time in Samoa during the outbreak, which killed 83 people.
MSD's compensation to survivors of abuse in care 'arbitrary' - Chief Ombudsman

Dec 3, 2024 | rnz.co.nz | Ellen O'Dwyer

The chief ombudsman has criticised the Ministry of Social Development's compensation scheme for survivors of abuse in care, saying payments have been unreasonably low. Peter Boshier has published his final opinion on a complaint laid against the Ministry by law firm Cooper Legal, which represents over 1000 abuse in care claimants. Cooper Legal complained to the ombudsman in 2020 about MSD's historic claims process and how it was revised in 2018, arguing the scheme was unreasonable and unjust.