Backbencher

This newspaper is very similar to the other ones that I have read, and to various papers within the United States. The first article that I read was about how the country is facing an increase of 7 percent in renting costs, which brings up the average rent to $300 a week. With more people wanting to rent, and landlords were feeling the pinch with the increase of mortgages, and insurance, all of this led to the reasoning for increasing the renting costs. People are getting paid more, so landlords feel that they will be able to afford a more expensive place.
The second article that I read was about the drinking age in the town of Whangarei. The mayor wants to lower the drinking age to 18, but they can only drink in clubs and bars, and cannot purchase alcohol in supermarkets and liquor stores until they are 20. He believes that this would reduce the amount of alcohol 16 year olds get, and the amount of bar fights that happen currently in the town.
The third article that I looked at was about how people are getting sick from toxic honey from the Coromandel. 10 people have gotten sick from this, with three of them having to be hospitalized. The Food Safety Authority has told people that if they have purchased any honey with the title "A Taste of Whangamata Pure Honey" to turn it into them so that way they can perform tests on the honey to see what is toxic in it.
These articles are really interesting, and it shows how similar New Zealand is to the United States, as both countries are facing the same issues. As a college student, the rent issue would be really important to me, as you are on a fixed income and with the increase; it makes it hard to afford someplace more expensive. The issue of the drinking age is a huge issue as it affects a lot of people and politicians are worried about the young voters.