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Why I said ‘my’ when it wasn’t - on caregiving, protection & what we carry without thinking

In my last post, I automatically referred to the tax bill as my tax bill. But if I am to be totally honest it isn’t mine. That big huge bill has actually been given to my daughter to try and navigate and deal with. I didn’t even mean to say ‘my’. It just came out. And I think I know why I said it that way, without even thinking about it. When you’re a caregiver, you don’t stop to work out whose problem something technically is. You just step in front of it. You take the c

Zsarina Lovett

Dec 17, 20253 min read

When systems don’t talk to each other, people pay the price.

Recently, I was told I suddenly owed tens of thousands of dollars in tax, with little warning and no clear explanation — despite doing everything I believed was required when receiving ACC-related payments as a caregiver. ACC says everything is set up correctly. Inland Revenue says the issue sits with ACC. And in the middle of that gap is a family left trying to untangle years of decisions made in good faith. This isn’t just about money. It’s about the emotional toll of being

Zsarina Lovett

Dec 15, 20251 min read

Attending the NZ Labour Party Annual Conference

Recently I somehow ended up going to the NZ Labour Party Annual Conference. I have been a financial member for a time and had wanted to be more involved, so when an email arrived in my inbox asking if anyone was interested in attending I put my name forward and waited to receive the ‘thank you for your enquiry, unfortunately….’ email. But instead, the opposite happened. For some reason the New Plymouth Branch said yes. I was not expecting it, didn’t even feel like I even de

Zsarina Lovett

Dec 3, 20253 min read