24 Jan 2018

The Panel with Heather Roy and Andrew Clay (Part 1)

From The Panel, 4:03 pm on 24 January 2018

The Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement is back on, with the details expected to be signed off in March. The 11-nation agreement had been halted following Canada's withdrawal in November but they've since resolved the contentious issues. Once signed, it will cover nearly 500 million people. But there are still many who are against the pact, which still includes problem issues like intellectual property provisions and aspects of the investor state settlement. International law expert Dr Al Gillespie from Waikato University joins The Panel to discuss what this means for the country. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announce the scope the government's mental health inquiry, highlighting the issue of accesibility and community involvement as some of the main areas of. It will take 9 months has a $6 million budget. A panel will go around the country listening to what people are struggling with and campaigners are urging people represent themselves and their needs. The panelists debate what they think needs to the focus. There are warnings about loan sharks taking advantage of the back-to-school financial drain. The cost of school supplies continues to have an impact on struggling families, with a recent study stating state education now costs more than $37,000. Some of the loans being offered to those in need have interest rates of 50 percent. The panelists debate the issue.